The Liberation of Mirpur and the Disappearance of Zahir Raihan
During the Liberation War of 1971, while the entire country suffered a great deal, no other area witnessed a massacre as severe as the one in Mirpur. Mirpur is a well-known, densely populated suburban area situated in the northeastern part of present-day Dhaka city. The urban landscape we are familiar with today was not what Mirpur was back in 1971. While the entire nation was experiencing its first taste of independence, Mirpur was witnessing mass killings, rape, and other horrifying atrocities committed by forces such as the pro-Pakistani Bihari migrants and various war crime groups similar to Al-Badr.
Background
After the partition of 1947, religion-based violence skyrocketed in the Indian subcontinent, and the main sufferers of these clashes were the minority Muslims in various states of India, similar to many Hindus residing in Pakistan at that time. The Indian state of Bihar suffered the most from this violence, which drove many Bihari families to migrate to and settle in East Pakistan, hoping for a change. It is estimated that up to one million Biharis migrated to East Pakistan.
Due to the rising housing crisis for the Bihari migrants, in 1960, Pakistan’s president at that time, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, built housing colonies situated in Mohammadpur and Mirpur. Mirpur at that time was a very rural area. The Bengali locals who resided in Mirpur during that period mostly lived off farming. After the Bihari migration to various sections of the Mirpur area, they took over a significant portion of the area's blue-collar working-class jobs. The cultural gap between the Bengalis and the Biharis was present, and it played a key role in many of the clashes during the pre-liberation war period. The Urdu-speaking Bihari population’s pro-Pakistan stance was also a major reason behind the general tension between these two groups.
Mirpur in 1971
Unlike other areas of Dhaka during the war, the situation in Mirpur was completely different. Mirpur was mostly controlled by the Bihari population at that time. Many Bengali families, sensing the danger, moved their women and children to a safer place. It is said that during the war, the Biharis had an unofficial barricade around the entire Mirpur area. They had secret checkpoints in various sections of Mirpur to ensure Bengali families didn’t have the chance to flee to other areas.
After March 25, 1971, many Bihari war collaborators took part in looting abandoned Bengali houses. As the war progressed, the Bihari war collaborators became more violent toward the local Bengalis. They started executing Bengali people brutally, dumping their bodies in various ponds and lakes around the area. So far, with the help of the Liberation War Museum, 11 slaughter grounds have been identified throughout various spots in the Mirpur area.
During 1971, Anwara Begum was a 22-year-old widow and one of the key witnesses of the atrocities committed by the Biharis along with the Pakistani army. Anwara Begum, a member of the college staff at Mirpur Bangla College at that time, lived on the college campus. The Pakistani army and its local collaborators, many of whom were Biharis, used the pond inside the Bangla College compound to dump the bodies of Bengalis. The mango orchard of the college was where the Pakistani army committed all the killings. Anwara Begum had the responsibility of clearing out the strewn dead bodies during that time.
In an interview conducted by Mayer Buli magazine back in 2014, Anwara said, “They came to kill me … I was offering my prayers. About six of them came to my place and took me at knife-point. But one of them said: 'She is a true Muslim.' So, they went back.”
Journalist Khondakar Abu Taleb, poet Meherunnesa, and many other important intellectual figures who resided in Mirpur sacrificed their lives during the war. Many of these killings, while carried out by Bihari misfits, were often local Bengali collaborators.
Mirpur post Liberation
On December 16, 1971, when the entire country was celebrating its independence, various areas around that time were witnessing the defeated Pakistan army's last attempt at resistance. In most cases, the resistance didn’t last long. However, in Mirpur, this resistance by the defeated opposition lasted for another month and a half, mostly due to the Bihari population of Mirpur, who were the Pakistani army’s non-Bengali collaborators. Different killing squads such as the Razakars, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams also helped in occupying the Mirpur area at that time. Many local war criminals at that time convinced the Biharis that Bangladesh would turn into Pakistan once again. The atrocities towards Biharis by some freedom fighters and local Bengalis on the other end of the fight and their innocents who didnt take part in the war being killed motivated some Biharis to keep on a resistance in their eyes.
Mama Guerilla Bahini Chief Syed Shahidul Haque recollected that on December 17, 1971, he found a small sack full of human eyes from one of the slaughterhouses in Mirpur. Celebrated journalist and columnist Syed Badrul Ahsan said, “There is Quazi Rosy to tell you all about it. And there is Syed Shahidul Haque, popularly known as Mama, to remind you of the gathering gloom which would descend on the Bengalis inhabiting Mirpur in the stirring times that were in 1971. Even as a resurgent Bengali nation, brought Pakistan to a grinding halt in March 1971, the non-Bengalis in Mirpur went on a spree of coercion and intimidation of the Bengali population in the locality.”
Indian Forces in Mirpur
The Indian army had been in control of the security of Dhaka since December 16. The Bihar Regiment of the Indian Army was in charge of Dhaka’s Mirpur and Mohammadpur areas. More than 1,000 Indian soldiers were positioned around that area, known as the 10 Bihar Regiment. The soldiers from the Bihar Regiment and the local Bihari population shared the same language. As a result, the Bangladesh army and the freedom-fighting forces didn’t intervene.
Mokhlesur Rahman, a member of the 2nd East Bengal Regiment, was in charge of collecting weapons given up by the defeated opposition army. It was while collecting that Abdul Kader Siddique, a known freedom fighter from Tangail, became aware—about a month after the independence—that many Bihari war collaborators from Mirpur had still not returned their weapons. This was then reported to the president of that time, none other than Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On January 24, 1972, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ordered a team consisting of army and police members to go to Mirpur and collect weapons from the Bihari war collaborators. Eid ul-Adha took place on January 26, 1972, which is why it was decided that the team would travel to Mirpur on January 27. According to the plan, the 2nd East Bengal Regiment entered Mirpur that day and contacted the Indian Army, which was in charge of Mirpur. The East Bengal Regiment soon took control of Mirpur. According to Mokhlesur Rahman, "They (Indian Army) also gave us wrong information. When we confronted them, they estimated there were maybe two or four weapons. There is gunfire every day at night. It was not widespread. They will give you weapons if you ask them."
Mirpur in January 29, 1972
On January 29, 1972, a curfew was imposed in Mirpur. A company of soldiers, led by Captain Helal Morshed, was sent to Mirpur from Suhrawardy Uddyan. They positioned themselves in sections 1 and 2 of Mirpur. On the other hand, at the same time, the soldiers of the 2nd East Bengal Regiment were sent to the water tank area of section 12. Mokhlesur Rahman stated that they took position while the police requested the local people, those who had weapons, to submit them. While in such a difficult position, the defeated Biharis kept their weapons in position, ready to display their resistance. The water and electricity lines were shut down in the Mirpur area. In the evening, a platoon of soldiers led by Wazed Ali Miah was sent to take position at the section 11 police post.
Mirpur in January 30, 1972
Bihari war collaborators started firing at Bengali soldiers around 11 am in section 2. In a few short moments of firing, the Bihari war collaborators were able to destroy the wireless system used by the army and policemen for communication purposes. Captain Helal Morshed, who was in charge of that area, was severely injured. Lieutenant Salim and Subedar Momen died during this attack. On the other hand, in section 11, Wazed Ali Miah’s platoon of soldiers was also being attacked. However, their soldiers showed resistance, and many Bihari war collaborators died or were injured. The Bihari war collaborators mission to gain control of section 11 was a massive failure.
Around 4 pm, the 2nd East Bengal Regiment started attacking the Bihari war collaborators using heavy weaponry. After an intense half hour of constant attacks from both sides, the Bihari war collaborators stopped firing. In the water tank area of section 12, Bihari war collaborators launched a surprise attack on the 2nd East Bengal Regiment. According to Mokhlesur Rahman, during the attacks, he took shelter in one of the abandoned houses. Luckily, the house he took refuge in exposed him to the internal movements between the Bihari war collaborators during the attack.
By the afternoon, the area was almost being overtaken by the Bihari war collaborators. Almost all of the 150 soldiers under him died in the attacks. The ones who survived tried to flee from the area. Mokhlesur Rahman, along with his fellow soldiers who also took shelter in that house, realized that staying there at night might cost them their lives. They secretly fled to the Cantonment at night. Later in the evening, an army convoy entered Mirpur with artillery support. That night, Mirpur and its neighboring areas were shaken by the sounds of artillery fire.
Mirpur in January 31, 1972
In the early morning of January 31, the Bangladesh army set up their camp in Eidgah Ground, situated in section 12 of Mirpur. The army at that time was well-prepared with proper weapons. The Bihari war collaborators started giving up all their weapons since the morning, knowing well enough that they had been defeated. It took almost 46 days since December 16, 1971, for Mirpur to gain its independence.
Throughout this three day long operation 41 army soldiers have lost their lives. The names are:
1. Lieutenant Selim Md. Kayrul Hasan
2. Havildar Wali Uddin
3. Subedar Abdul Momin
4. Nayek Hafizur Rahman
5. Havildar Md. Hanif
6. Nayek Tajul Haque
7. Nayek Abul Fazal
8. Nayek Shamsul Haque
9. Lance Nayek Abdur Razzak
10. Lance Nayek Nurul Islam
11. Sepoy Noor Mia
12. Sepoy Abdul Motaleb
13. Sepoy Abdus Samad
14. Sepoy Keramat Ali
15. Sepoy Abul Kalam Mia
16. Sepoy Shafiqur Rahman
17. Sepoy Azizul Haque
18. Sepoy Abul Khair Patowary
19. Sepoy Ekramul Haque
20. Sepoy Abdul Haque
21. Sepoy Abdus Samad
22. Sepoy Fayez Uddin
23. Sepoy Hafizur Rahman
24. Sepoy Mominul Haque
25. Sepoy Abdur Rashid Howlader
26. Sepoy Musleh Uddin Ahmed
27. Sepoy Md. Delwar Hossain
28. Sepoy Abul Khair
29. Sepoy Abul Hai
30. Sepoy Amarjan Uddin
31. Sepoy Sobahanun Bari Chowdhury
32. Sepoy Yunus Mia
33. Sepoy Rafiqul Islam Sepoy Rafiqul Alam
34. Sepoy Fazlul Haque
35. Sepoy Abul Khalek
36. Sepoy Siddiq Mia
37. Sepoy Mojibur Rahman
38. Sepoy A. Kader
39. Sepoy Ali Ahmed
40. Sepoy Md. Hanif Sardar
- Sepoy Ali Ahmmed
Many police officers have also lost their lives during this operation. Many of the details regarding this have still not been found.
Where is Zahir Raihan?
Zahir Raihan is often considered the greatest filmmaker in pre-liberation Bangladesh. Not only for his unique talent in making films, but Zahir Raihan was also a renowned novelist and short story writer. He was one of the pivotal figures during the liberation movement. His 1970 classic Jibon Theke Newa inspired the people of this country to dream of independence. Zahir Raihan disappeared on January 30, 1972. Even though there have been many conspiracy theories and investigations regarding his disappearance, he was last seen in Mirpur section 12.
Although there have been multiple witnesses around that time who have openly admitted to seeing Zahir Raihan being attacked by the Biharis during the continuous firing between them and the East Bengal Regiment, most of the members of the army who were in charge of that area died in brushfire attacks. Soldier Amir Hossain was one of the eyewitnesses of Zahir Raihan’s death. According to him, on January 30, around 11 am, the local Bihari goons launched a surprise attack by firing bullets. Several bullets went through Zahir Raihan’s body, and his body fell very close to the water tank area of section 12. Journalist Zulfikar Ali Manik has done extensive investigation regarding this particular case, and his description of the entire matter matches what Amir Hossain has said.
However this narrative of Zahir Raihan's death has been challenged by Zahir Raihan's own sister and she believes Mujibnagar Government and Shahriar Kabir were complicit in the disappearance of Zahir Raihan.
Epilogue
The liberation of Mirpur was a dark chapter in the history of this capital. Over the years, the Liberation War Museum has taken enough and necessary steps to preserve the history of all the atrocities that took place in Mirpur during this period. Many memorials, such as the Rayer Bazar Killing Field and Jalladkhana Killing Field, were established to honor those who had to endure and sacrifice their lives. Today, January 31 is celebrated as Mirpur Mukto Dibos (Mirpur Liberation Day). The day plays a vital role in reminding the new generation of the atrocities that were committed and the sacrifices that were made for a better, peaceful tomorrow. The history of the delayed liberation of Mirpur serves as a reminder. It reminds people of what it took to gain what we, as a nation, have today. Now 53 years have passed, Biharis and Bengalis are both citizens of Bangladesh now. It is time to look forward and work together as Bangladeshis and hope that conflict like this never breaks out again.
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