Agartala: Bangladesh freedom fighter Alam Miah, who fought for the Liberation Army in the Brahmanbaria sector, recalled the contribution of former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi in their freedom struggle.
“She is no less than a mother for all of us who had to leave their homes and take shelter in bordering areas of Tripura. The Indian Army trained us and supported us in freeing our bleeding nation from the clutches of imperialist rule. History remembers this war as the biggest ever revolt to safeguard the culture and mother tongue,” Miah said while sharing his thoughts with the people present at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission office located in Tripura.
He said all differences were blurred when people opened their doors to the Mukti Bahini fighters. “People of Tripura and this country shared their food and vacated rooms for the fighters. People associated with politics have also supported our cause despite having political differences,” he recalled.
Bangladesh freedom fighter Himayat Uddin Kalam was also present there.
Speaking on the occasion, Senior Journalist and Bangladesh “Maitri Sanman” awardee Swapan Kumar Bhattacharjee said that the name “Bangladesh” was probably for the first time used for an official purpose by the Tripura Cabinet. “On March 31, 1971, the then Chief Minister of Tripura Sachindra Lal Singh passed a resolution in the Tripura cabinet for the freedom of Bangladesh where the term Bangladesh was mentioned.
“This resolution was later placed before the Central government. Before that, Bangladesh was always referred to as East Bengal or East Pakistan in official communications. I haven’t found any official records where the term Bangladesh was mentioned before that resolution,” Bhattacharjee pointed out.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
Apart from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and CM Sachindra Lal Singh, he also lauded the role of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the opposition leader in Parliament. “His role can never be ignored. His contribution both inside and outside the parliament was very significant,” he added.
Professor Mihir Deb, former Speaker Rebati Mohan Das and people who had participated in the freedom movement of Bangladesh attended the event. Rich tributes were paid to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Also Read: Like Zombies: How Agartala’s growing drug problem is ruining a generation