Part 1
In the 1990 election, I was only seven years old. My elder brother, who was born in 1971, was around twenty then and wanted to support a political party. My father didn’t allow him to take part. Out of curiosity, I asked my father, “Abba, what were you doing in 1971? Were you a freedom fighter?” He replied, “That time, everyone was a freedom fighter, except for some Razakars.”
From him, I learned many stories of that time. He told me about a Union Council Chairman in Amin Bazar who was forced to join the Razakars. Yet, despite being labeled one, this man secretly helped people escape from the Pakistani army and supported the freedom fighters.
My father also described horrific scenes at the Amin Bazar bridge. The Pakistani army, along with Razakars, would bring people there, behead them, and throw the bodies into the Turag River—sometimes as many as a hundred at once.
From my mother, I heard another tragic story. On December 16, 1971, the very day of victory, one man came out of his home in excitement after hearing the news of independence. While preparing to celebrate, a bullet struck him, and he was killed instantly. My parents would often repeat this story, and only now do I realize the hidden message: don’t over-celebrate your victory, for danger may still be near.
After independence, there were also disturbing incidents. In Mirpur’s Bihari settlements, large-scale looting and killings took place. Many people from Amin Bazar joined in these acts, taking furniture and belongings from the Biharis. My parents, too, bought a wooden cot (khat) from those looted goods—and even today, that khat still exists in our house.