Hemayet Bahini was a guerilla militia force of Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

 in the 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. This small force was known by the name of its leader and organizer Mohammad Hemayet Uddin

Hemayet Uddin

Hemayet Uddin , more widely known by his first name Hemayet, was a famous Bangladeshi militia leader and freedom fighter in the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh...

 Bir Bikrom

Bir Bikrom

Bir Bikrom is the third highest gallantry award in Bangladesh. Like the other gallantry awards, this was introduced immediately after the Bangladeshi Liberation War. Bir Bikrom was awarded to 175 fighters.-Recipients:...

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The area of operation of Hemayet Bahini was the Faridpur

Faridpur District

Faridpur is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. Faridpur District has a population of over 1.7 million people and is situated on the banks of the Padma river . It is bordered by Madaripur, Narail, Rajbari, Magura, Shariatpur, Gopalgonj, Dhaka and Manikganj...

 zone. Although Hemayet Uddin was a Havildar

Havildar

Havildar ) was the Military 'In Charge' of a Fort during the times of Maratha Empire. In the British Indian Army it was equivalent rank to Sergeant, next above Naik, and is still used in the modern Indian Army and Pakistan Army. The cavalry equivalent is Daffadar...

 of the East Bengal Regiment of 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...

, his force was composed mostly of local youth. This guerrilla force used the riverine terrain to its advantage and disrupted the movement of Pakistan armed forces in the region.

Hemayet Bahini was very popular among the Bengalis and stories about their work reached mythic proportions. Hemayet Uddin, the leader, was affectionately addressed by the Mukti bahini

Mukti Bahini

Mukti Bahini , also termed as the "Freedom Fighters" or FFs, collectively refers to the armed organizations who fought against the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was dynamically formed by Bengali regulars and civilians after the proclamation of Bangladesh's independence on...

 headquarters as Himu. After the war, he was decorated by the gallantry award Bir Bikrom

Bir Bikrom

Bir Bikrom is the third highest gallantry award in Bangladesh. Like the other gallantry awards, this was introduced immediately after the Bangladeshi Liberation War. Bir Bikrom was awarded to 175 fighters.-Recipients:...

 and was awarded the military rank of Subedar

Subedar

Subedar is a historical rank in the Indian Army, ranking below British commissioned officers and above non-commissioned officers. The rank was otherwise equivalent to a British lieutenant and was introduced in the East India Company's presidency armies, to make it easier for British officers to...

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