Dr. Amanur Aman/
Today is April 17, the historic Mujibnagar Day. A unique day in the history of struggle for freedom and the war of liberation of Bangladesh. In this day, 167 MNAs and 293 MPs elected were making the dream of an independent Bangladesh a reality. Under their able leadership and guidence, the first independent Bangladesh government was formed on this day and the declaration of this government strongly supported and approved Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s declaration of independence on March 26.
In this declaration, call was made upon to the freedom-lover people to engage in fight until death with indomitable spirit to achieve freedom against the invading forces of Pakistan through their bravery, courage and revolutionary activities to create national and international opinion in favour of an independent Bangladesh.
History says, as a result of the formation of this government, support and cooperation was extended to the Bengalis who were fighting for independence from all over the world. After all, after 9 months of war, the final victory was achieved by this Mujibnagar government on December 16. Therefore, the importance and contribution of Mujibnagar government in the history of our liberation war has been remembered forever and will remain forever.

BACKGROUND/
March 25, 1971. Heavily twisting mandate of the election, Pakistani invading forces descended on Bangla with a killing spree. They forced Bangabandhu to imprison. Soon after this, resistance war of freedom-seeking masses, the war of liberation began sporadically across the country. At one stage, it is feel that legitimacy of this war is necessary. At the same time, arms, training and protection was also needed for freedom fighters. It was necessary to garner international support for the war of liberation through diplomatic action.
And as a first task of above, a free zone was necessary to establish a legitimate independent government in warring Bengal territory. For this purpose, planning began based on the then Kushtia region.
The flag of the first independent Bangladesh was hoisted on the soil of Kushtia on March 3, 1971 ; the proclamation of independent Bengal was also read there. On the sequence, the flag of independent Bengal was hoisted again on 23 March at Kushtia High School ground.
Kushtia was under Sector 8 during the liberation war. This sector consists of Jashore, Kushtia, Daulatpur, Khulna up to Satkhira road and some parts of Faridpur district. This sector consisting of seven sub-sectors was headquartered at Kalyani. Major Abu Osman Chowdhury (later Lt. Col.) was the commander of this sector from April to August and later Major MA Manzur was the commander from August to December. Abu Osman Chowdhury was serving in Kushtia as a Major in the Pakistan Army. When the Operation Search Light of the Paki government started, on March 25, he reached the base of Chuadanga in Kushtia, declared rebellion against the Pakistan army, joined the army in the war of liberation and continued to stay there. Arriving there, he consulted with local political leaders, police and students and teachers to revolt against the invading forces. He declared the western part of the Padma-Meghna as the south-western battlefield and declared himself the captain. He organised guard of honour hoisting flag of Bangladesh which was mapped red sun in the middle lowering Pakistan flag at the 4th EPR headquarters.
Major Abu Osman Chowdhury and Captain Azam Chowdhury, based on the designs given by the then political leaders of Kushtia, landed in the first frontal battle with the Pak army on 30 March with the Joy Bangla Bahini consisting of the freedom-loving freedom fighters of Kushtia.
On 1 April, Kushtia was freed for the first time in Bangladesh. Kushtia district was the only district in Bangladesh which freed from enemies for 16 days. And these 16 days were like a lifeline in the sanguineous history of the liberation war of Bangladesh. When Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was imprisoned in the dark lock-up of Pakistan, when Pakistan was desperate to show the great liberation war of Bangladesh to the world as a separatist movement and when other great leaders of the liberation war were in India collecting support for independence, then a free zone was very much needed in the land of Bangladesh for the proclamation of independence.
Kushtia was the land that became ‘independent’ in war of resistance; Vaidyanathtala of Meherpur (now Mujibnagar upazila of Meherpur district) was one of the subdivisions of Kushtia. Standing there, the government exile of Bangladesh was announced by the elected leaders on that day. The great war of liberation was conducted under that government. This government was a rightful constitutional, logical and realist step forwards the full realisation of our dream of an independent country of our own.
While alive, Sector Commander Major Abu Osman Chowdhury said in a newspaper interview that Kushtia was the only district which was freed within the first week of the war. In continuation of this, we were able to create a free zone for the swearing in of the Mujibnagar government.
After this, the Pak army intensified its attack on Kushtia and recaptured again. Then in the long 9 months about 22 small and big battles took place in this region and on 11 December Kushtia was finally freed. Before that Meherpur was freed on 1 December and Chuadanga on 6 December. According to various sources, about 20,000 people were killed in Kushtia during the war of liberation.
The decision that was made that day was a very difficult one. The world community also described the same. The context of the formation of this government therefore became the subject of interest of foreign journalists and diplomats. It is now historically true that if it had not been formed that day, the people’s wars and movements scattered across the country could not have been brought under control and the freedom struggle could not have been accelerated against the Pakistanis.
Dr. Amanur Aman, M.Phil, PhD, is writer, researcher, University Professional. He is editor of the Dainik Kushtia and The Kushtia Times. He writes 28 books.