Suhrawardy Udyan
Encyclopedia
Suhrawardy Udyan formerly known as Ramna Racecourse ground is a national memorial located in Dhaka
, Bangladesh
. Once known as ‘‘Bagh-e-Badshahi’’ during the Mughal rule, it is named after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
. Originally it served as the military club of the British
soldiers stationed in Dhaka. It was then called the Ramna Racecourse and later Ramna Gymkhana
. After the end of colonial rule, the place - sometimes referred to as Dhaka Racecourse - was used for legal horse racing
on Sundays.
It is the resting place of three great national leaders, Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Huq (1873-1962), Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
(1892-1963) and Khwaja Nazimuddin (1894-1964). Ramna Racecourse was renamed after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
.
The place is also etched in history as it was here that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
made his historic "This time the struggle is for our freedom
" speech that inspired Bengalis to prepare for the freedom struggle. The original Flag of Bangladesh
was also hoisted here for the second time since it was first unfurled at the University of Dhaka
and the first time it was flown at such a large public gathering in Bangladesh. It was also the site of the centuries old Ramna Kali Mandir
, a Hindu temple and Dhaka landmark that was razed to the ground by the Pakistan Army on March 27, 1971 in a massacre that led to the death of over 100 people.
Incidentally it became the setting for the surrender of Pakistan Army
under Lt. Gen. A. A. K. Niazi
on December 16, 1971 after their defeat in the Bangladesh Liberation War
to the allied forces of Mitro Bahini
led by Jagjit Singh Aurora
. The instrument of surrender was signed at this place and the date is celebrated by Bangladeshis as Victory Day
. The place is currently maintained as historic park with an eternal flame setup in 1996 to symbolise freedom.
. After intense clearing of jungles for several months, Dowes demolished the ruins, tombs and monuments that stood there, except the Greek tomb structure, which is now inside TSC, Ramna Kali Mandir
on the south and Shahbaz Khan Mosque
that stands by the western side of Old High Court building behind Tin Netar Mausoleum. A large oval shaped area was recovered and its periphery was protected by white wooden fence encircling the entire ground, punctuated by high watch-towers erected at equal intervals all around the racing path. The ground was used for horse racing and other games.
The horse races became very popular in Dhaka under the patronisation of the Nawab
s of Dhaka. The Nawabs developed the racecourse area as a beautiful garden and named a part of it as Shahbagh, the royal garden.
located at the centre of the Racecourse was later repaired and renovated by Rani Bilasmoni Debi of Bhawal. It was totally destroyed by the Pakistani Army in the night of 25 March 1971, in a massacre by the programme of Operation Searchlight
that led to the death of over 100 people.
In 1969, a civic reception was organized at the Ramna Racecourse in honor of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
on his release from jail and he was accorded the title Bangabandhu in the reception. Awami League arranged a huge public meeting at Ramna Racecourse ground on 3 January 1971 and all the elected members of the Jatiya Sangsad (National Assembly), in which the party owned majority, publicly took oath of not betraying the cause of the Bengali people under any circumstances.
It was again the Ramna Racecourse ground, where, at a gathering on 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
delivered his historic speech and virtually declared independence by saying that "This time the struggle is for our freedom
, this time the struggle is for our independence."
.
On the 16th of December, 1971, Lt. General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, the commander of the Eastern Command of Pakistan received Lt. General Jagjit Singh Aurora
, the commander of the Eastern Command of India and the GOC-in-chief of the Indian and Bangladesh forces at the Dhaka airport with a small military salute. They then drove to the Racecourse ground where a small contingent of the Pakistan army presented a guard of honor to the Indian Commander and at 4:00 pm both the Generals signed the Instrument of Surrender. With this ended the war in 1971 and came the formal inauguration of Bangladesh. The mammoth public meeting jointly addressed by the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
on 17 March 1972 was another important event that took place at Suhrawardy Udyan. By that time, it became an important place of public and political gathering. The huge ground, however, was converted after 1975 into a park with greens and walkways.
, the National Poet of Bangladesh, died August 29, 1976 at 10.10 in the morning. At 4.30PM the mourners in a procession moved to the Suhrawardy Udyan to attend the prayer before the dead body was laid to rest. Over 200,000 mourners took part in that prayer, including the President of the country, Chiefs of the armed forces and the diplomats from different countries.
, a 2000 seat auditorium, an open air theatre and a water body. The unfinished Swadhinata Stambha finally opened on 7 March 2011.
's time, almost a third of its area was taken up by the National Children’s Park (Shishu Park). The remaining part was fenced out all around to protect it from vagrants and vandals. At the same time, as part of the tree plantation drive going on at that time, innumerable tree saplings of various kinds were planted all over the newly named Suhrawardy Udyan.
In 1996, the Bangladesh government set up an Eternal Flame at the Suhrawardy Udyan to honor the important events that took place here and the role of this historic ground in the movements of the nation for independence.
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, 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...
. Once known as ‘‘Bagh-e-Badshahi’’ during the Mughal rule, it is named after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani-Bengali politician and statesman who served as 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 till 1957, and a close associate of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime minister of Pakistan...
. Originally it served as the military club of the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
soldiers stationed in Dhaka. It was then called the Ramna Racecourse and later Ramna Gymkhana
Gymkhana
Gymkhana is a typical Anglo-Indian expression, which is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word for "racket court," is an Indian term which originally referred to a place where sporting events take place. The meaning then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held...
. After the end of colonial rule, the place - sometimes referred to as Dhaka Racecourse - was used for legal horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
on Sundays.
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani-Bengali politician and statesman who served as 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 till 1957, and a close associate of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime minister of Pakistan...
(1892-1963) and Khwaja Nazimuddin (1894-1964). Ramna Racecourse was renamed after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani-Bengali politician and statesman who served as 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 till 1957, and a close associate of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime minister of Pakistan...
.
The place is also etched in history as it was here that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
made his historic "This time the struggle is for our freedom
This time the struggle is for our freedom
"This Time The Struggle Is For Our Freedom" is a speech given by Bengali nationalist leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 7, 1971 at the historic Ramna Race Course Maidan in Dhaka to a gathering of over two million people from all walks of life...
" speech that inspired Bengalis to prepare for the freedom struggle. The original Flag of Bangladesh
Flag of Bangladesh
The national flag of Bangladesh was adopted officially on 17 January 1972. It is based on a similar flag used during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The map was later deleted from the flag by the order of General Abul Manzur, most likely to simplify the design...
was also hoisted here for the second time since it was first unfurled at the University of Dhaka
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
and the first time it was flown at such a large public gathering in Bangladesh. It was also the site of the centuries old Ramna Kali Mandir
Ramna Kali Mandir
The Ramna Kali Mandir , also known as the Ramna Kalibari was one of the most famous Hindu temples of the Indian subcontinent...
, a Hindu temple and Dhaka landmark that was razed to the ground by the Pakistan Army on March 27, 1971 in a massacre that led to the death of over 100 people.
Incidentally it became the setting for the surrender 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...
under Lt. Gen. A. A. K. Niazi
A. A. K. Niazi
Lieutenant-General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi HJ, MC,; c. 1915 - 2 February 2004), was a former three-star general in the Pakistan Army who was the last unified commander of Pakistan Armed Forces's Eastern Military High Command in East-Pakistan...
on December 16, 1971 after their defeat 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....
to the allied forces of Mitro Bahini
Mitro Bahini
Mitro Bahini was the alliance of the Indian Army and the then-East Pakistani Mukti Bahini that engaged the Pakistani forces in December 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The alliance provided the final blow to the already weakened Pakistan Army which surrendered thirteen days after the...
led by Jagjit Singh Aurora
Jagjit Singh Aurora
Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971...
. The instrument of surrender was signed at this place and the date is celebrated by Bangladeshis as Victory Day
Victory Day
Victory Day is a common name of many different public holidays in various countries to commemorate victories in important battles or wars in the countries' history.- April 30 in Vietnam :...
. The place is currently maintained as historic park with an eternal flame setup in 1996 to symbolise freedom.
History
The history of the Ramna Racecourse Ground dates back to 1610 AD during the Mughal rule, when Mughal Subehdar Islam Khan Chistia founded Dhaka as the Capital of Subeh Bengal and developed Ramna as a place for the rich. They made many gardens there, thus the place was referred as Bagh-e-Badshahi. New residential houses, gardens, mosques, tombs and temples were built in this area during that period. After the fall of the Mughal rule, the ground gradually lost much of its glory. It transformed into a barren area with bushes and abandoned buildings. In 1825, When Mr. Dowes, a British collector of Dhaka initiated a series of steps for development of the city, Ramna started to regain its glory. Suhrawardy Udyan (then the Ramna Racecourse ground) was part of Ramna ParkRamna Park
Ramna Park is a large park and recreation area situated at the heart of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh...
. After intense clearing of jungles for several months, Dowes demolished the ruins, tombs and monuments that stood there, except the Greek tomb structure, which is now inside TSC, Ramna Kali Mandir
Ramna Kali Mandir
The Ramna Kali Mandir , also known as the Ramna Kalibari was one of the most famous Hindu temples of the Indian subcontinent...
on the south and Shahbaz Khan Mosque
Shahbaz Khan Mosque
-Overview:A merchant of prince of Dhaka who built the mosque as well as his own Dargah Sharif during his lifetime in - 1086 .It is an Islamic architecture. Now its present condition is good...
that stands by the western side of Old High Court building behind Tin Netar Mausoleum. A large oval shaped area was recovered and its periphery was protected by white wooden fence encircling the entire ground, punctuated by high watch-towers erected at equal intervals all around the racing path. The ground was used for horse racing and other games.
The horse races became very popular in Dhaka under the patronisation of the Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
s of Dhaka. The Nawabs developed the racecourse area as a beautiful garden and named a part of it as Shahbagh, the royal garden.
The Kali Mandir
The old Ramna Kali MandirRamna Kali Mandir
The Ramna Kali Mandir , also known as the Ramna Kalibari was one of the most famous Hindu temples of the Indian subcontinent...
located at the centre of the Racecourse was later repaired and renovated by Rani Bilasmoni Debi of Bhawal. It was totally destroyed by the Pakistani Army in the night of 25 March 1971, in a massacre by the programme of Operation Searchlight
Operation 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...
that led to the death of over 100 people.
After the Partition (1947)
After the partition of 1947, the first ever public meeting of Mohammad Ali Jinnah was held here on 23 March 1948.In 1969, a civic reception was organized at the Ramna Racecourse in honor of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
on his release from jail and he was accorded the title Bangabandhu in the reception. Awami League arranged a huge public meeting at Ramna Racecourse ground on 3 January 1971 and all the elected members of the Jatiya Sangsad (National Assembly), in which the party owned majority, publicly took oath of not betraying the cause of the Bengali people under any circumstances.
It was again the Ramna Racecourse ground, where, at a gathering on 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
delivered his historic speech and virtually declared independence by saying that "This time the struggle is for our freedom
This time the struggle is for our freedom
"This Time The Struggle Is For Our Freedom" is a speech given by Bengali nationalist leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 7, 1971 at the historic Ramna Race Course Maidan in Dhaka to a gathering of over two million people from all walks of life...
, this time the struggle is for our independence."
Victory Day
After nine months of fighting bravely, the Bengali nation achieved victory and the Pakistani army surrendered formally at the Ramna Racecourse ground on 16 December 1971, which is known as the Victory DayVictory Day (Bangladesh)
Victory Day is a national holiday in Bangladesh celebrated on December 16.On this day in 1971, the Pakistani Army surrendered to the Indo-Bangladeshi High Command in Dhaka, ending the 9 month-long Bangladesh Liberation War and 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. General AAK Niazi, the Commanding officer...
.
On the 16th of December, 1971, Lt. General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, the commander of the Eastern Command of Pakistan received Lt. General Jagjit Singh Aurora
Jagjit Singh Aurora
Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971...
, the commander of the Eastern Command of India and the GOC-in-chief of the Indian and Bangladesh forces at the Dhaka airport with a small military salute. They then drove to the Racecourse ground where a small contingent of the Pakistan army presented a guard of honor to the Indian Commander and at 4:00 pm both the Generals signed the Instrument of Surrender. With this ended the war in 1971 and came the formal inauguration of Bangladesh. The mammoth public meeting jointly addressed by the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
on 17 March 1972 was another important event that took place at Suhrawardy Udyan. By that time, it became an important place of public and political gathering. The huge ground, however, was converted after 1975 into a park with greens and walkways.
Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Funeral Procession
Kazi Nazrul IslamKazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
, the National Poet of Bangladesh, died August 29, 1976 at 10.10 in the morning. At 4.30PM the mourners in a procession moved to the Suhrawardy Udyan to attend the prayer before the dead body was laid to rest. Over 200,000 mourners took part in that prayer, including the President of the country, Chiefs of the armed forces and the diplomats from different countries.
The Swadhinata Stambha
The Swadhinata Stambha (The Independence Monument), has been constructed at the Suhrawardy Udyan, in the memory of the people who sacrificed their lives for the country between 1948 and 1971. The project began in February 1997 and it included an underground museum, terracotta murals on heroes and events of the Bangladesh Liberation WarBangladesh 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....
, a 2000 seat auditorium, an open air theatre and a water body. The unfinished Swadhinata Stambha finally opened on 7 March 2011.
Present Condition
After the independence of Bangladesh, the Racecourse ground gradually started to fade from its eminence. During President Ziaur RahmanZiaur Rahman
President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, was a Bangladeshi politician and general, who read the declaration of Independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971 on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He later became the seventh President of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1981...
's time, almost a third of its area was taken up by the National Children’s Park (Shishu Park). The remaining part was fenced out all around to protect it from vagrants and vandals. At the same time, as part of the tree plantation drive going on at that time, innumerable tree saplings of various kinds were planted all over the newly named Suhrawardy Udyan.
In 1996, the Bangladesh government set up an Eternal Flame at the Suhrawardy Udyan to honor the important events that took place here and the role of this historic ground in the movements of the nation for independence.