Gopalpur massacre
Encyclopedia
Gopalpur Massacre was a massacre
committed by Pakistan army
during Bangladesh liberation war
of 1971. The killing took place at Gopalpur municipality of Lalpur Upazila
, Natore on 5 May 1971. The victims of the massacre were the Bengali
employees of North Bengal Sugar Mill.
, an ethnic cleansing scheme against Bengali people of the then East Pakistan
. This attack triggered Bangladesh liberation war and commenced 1971 Bangladesh atrocities
that continued for nine months till the end of the war.
Elements of Pakistan army established control over Dhaka city on the night of 25 March. But they faced stubborn resistance from locally organized Bengali armed forces in other parts of the country. In Pabna
, The 25 Punjab regiment of Pakistan army suffered heavy causality as they tried to wrest control of the city from the locals. They called for reinforcements from the battalion headquarter in Rajshahi
. Major Raja Aslam arrived in Pabna with the reinforcement but was forced to retreat toward Rajshahi. But their movement was hampered by occasional clashes with local forces. The locals also put up barricades and destroyed a bridge at Dhanaidah in Natore to stall the movement. A railway wagon barricade was put up at Gopalpur rail gate by the local station master.
On 30 March, as the army halted near the Waliar Moyna village, it was attacked by a group of Bengali fighters aided by the local Santals. In the ensuing battle (remembered as Moynar Juddho, the battle of Moyna by the locals) 40 of the Bengali fighters died. The casualty on the Pakistani side was lower, but their morale dropped significantly. In the night, the Pakistanis attempted to flee the area in small groups. The following day, several of them were captured by the locals, including the commanding officer Major Aslam. The soldiers were taken to the residence of Lt.Anwarul Azim, the leader of the local Bengali force and the general manager of North Bengal Sugar Mill. After a summary trial at Lalpur SS Pilot High School ground, the Pakistan army men were shot dead.
After the declaration of Emergency in March, Pakistan Army was given the task of seeking West Pakistani’s working in far flung areas of East Pakistan and evacuating them to Dhaka and Chittagong. A batch of Pakistani soldiers led my Major Aslam, Capt. Raja and a Sepoy with a list of West Pakistani’s working in Gopalpur reached the house of North Bengal Sugar Mills Administrator Amirul Azim. The soldiers were particularly looking for Mr. Hassan working with the Sugar Mills and Mr. Syed Ale Imran working for Pak PWD Workshop. Unfortunately for the soldiers the people they were seeking had left the area a couple of months back. Administrator Azim welcomed the party of soldiers, but secretly called in the Mukti Bahani, who closed the gates and tortured the three soldiers to death.
When the news reached the military high command, they ordered an operation in retaliation, Administrator Azim and 49 members of Mukhti Bahani and there sympathizers were shot down.
All the bodies were dumped into the pond. The soldiers searched for survivors and ensured death by charging bayonets on the bodies. One administrative officer of the mill survived the shooting. But when found alive, he was flogged to death.
After the war, the pond was named Shaheed Sagar (The sea of martyrs). Gopalpur Railway Station was named Azim Nagar Station in memory of Lt. Azim.
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
committed by Pakistan army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
during Bangladesh liberation war
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
of 1971. The killing took place at Gopalpur municipality of Lalpur Upazila
Lalpur Upazila
Lalpur is an Upazila of Natore District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.-Geography:Lalpur is located at . It has 39,448 households and total area 327.92 km².-Demographics:...
, Natore on 5 May 1971. The victims of the massacre were the Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
employees of North Bengal Sugar Mill.
Background
At midnight of March 25, 1971 Pakistan army launched Operation SearchlightOperation Searchlight
Operation Searchlight was a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in the erstwhile East Pakistan in March 1971. Ordered by the central government in West Pakistan, this was seen as the sequel to "Operation Blitz" which had been...
, an ethnic cleansing scheme against Bengali people of the then East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
. This attack triggered Bangladesh liberation war and commenced 1971 Bangladesh atrocities
1971 Bangladesh atrocities
Beginning with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971 and continuing throughout the Bangladesh Liberation War, there were widespread violations of human rights in East Pakistan perpetrated by the Pakistan Army, with support from local political and religious militias, especially...
that continued for nine months till the end of the war.
Elements of Pakistan army established control over Dhaka city on the night of 25 March. But they faced stubborn resistance from locally organized Bengali armed forces in other parts of the country. In Pabna
Pabna
Pabna is a town in Rajshahi Division ofBangladesh and the administrative capital of eponymous Pabna District. It is located on the north bank of Padma river and has a population of about 138,000.-Name:...
, The 25 Punjab regiment of Pakistan army suffered heavy causality as they tried to wrest control of the city from the locals. They called for reinforcements from the battalion headquarter in Rajshahi
Rajshahi
The city of Rajshahi is the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi division as well as the administrative district that bears its name and is one of the six metropolitan cities of Bangladesh. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and...
. Major Raja Aslam arrived in Pabna with the reinforcement but was forced to retreat toward Rajshahi. But their movement was hampered by occasional clashes with local forces. The locals also put up barricades and destroyed a bridge at Dhanaidah in Natore to stall the movement. A railway wagon barricade was put up at Gopalpur rail gate by the local station master.
On 30 March, as the army halted near the Waliar Moyna village, it was attacked by a group of Bengali fighters aided by the local Santals. In the ensuing battle (remembered as Moynar Juddho, the battle of Moyna by the locals) 40 of the Bengali fighters died. The casualty on the Pakistani side was lower, but their morale dropped significantly. In the night, the Pakistanis attempted to flee the area in small groups. The following day, several of them were captured by the locals, including the commanding officer Major Aslam. The soldiers were taken to the residence of Lt.Anwarul Azim, the leader of the local Bengali force and the general manager of North Bengal Sugar Mill. After a summary trial at Lalpur SS Pilot High School ground, the Pakistan army men were shot dead.
After the declaration of Emergency in March, Pakistan Army was given the task of seeking West Pakistani’s working in far flung areas of East Pakistan and evacuating them to Dhaka and Chittagong. A batch of Pakistani soldiers led my Major Aslam, Capt. Raja and a Sepoy with a list of West Pakistani’s working in Gopalpur reached the house of North Bengal Sugar Mills Administrator Amirul Azim. The soldiers were particularly looking for Mr. Hassan working with the Sugar Mills and Mr. Syed Ale Imran working for Pak PWD Workshop. Unfortunately for the soldiers the people they were seeking had left the area a couple of months back. Administrator Azim welcomed the party of soldiers, but secretly called in the Mukti Bahani, who closed the gates and tortured the three soldiers to death.
When the news reached the military high command, they ordered an operation in retaliation, Administrator Azim and 49 members of Mukhti Bahani and there sympathizers were shot down.
Massacre
In response to the Bengali resistance, the Pakistan army headquarter at Rajshahi dispatched forces by land and by air. The army quickly took control of Pabna, Ishwardi and Natore. On the 5th of May, around 10 am, the army reached Gopalpur and captured the sugar mill, a Bengali stronghold. Around 200 Bengali people, most of which were the employees of the mill, were rounded up and interrogated about the whereabouts of the freedom fighters. Monjur Iman, a non-Bengali worker of the Mill, was assisting the soldiers in identifying the Bengalis. The leader of the fighters, Lt. Anwarul Azim, handed himself over to the army and requested to let the people go. The soldiers shot down Lt. Azim and his family members. Then the captives were lined up by the pond inside the Sugar Mill with 13 machine guns pointed at them and were gunned down. Only 5 out of the 200 captives: Abdul Jalil Sikdar, Khorshed Alam, Abul Hossain, Emaduddin and Injil Sarkar survived the carnage.All the bodies were dumped into the pond. The soldiers searched for survivors and ensured death by charging bayonets on the bodies. One administrative officer of the mill survived the shooting. But when found alive, he was flogged to death.
After the war, the pond was named Shaheed Sagar (The sea of martyrs). Gopalpur Railway Station was named Azim Nagar Station in memory of Lt. Azim.
See also
- List of massacres in Bangladesh
- 1971 Bangladesh atrocities1971 Bangladesh atrocitiesBeginning with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971 and continuing throughout the Bangladesh Liberation War, there were widespread violations of human rights in East Pakistan perpetrated by the Pakistan Army, with support from local political and religious militias, especially...
- Chuknagar massacre
- Jinjira genocideJinjira genocideJinjira massacre was a planned killing of civilians by the Pakistan army during the Bangladesh liberation war of 1971. The killing took place at the unions Jinjira, Kalindi and Shubhadya of Keraniganj Upazila across the Buriganga River from Dhaka....