Shah Jalal Uddin Bhuiyan :
September 4 is the 49th death anniversary of Bir Uttom Shahid Khwaja Nizamuddin Bhuiyan — my elder brother. He was 2nd-in-Command of Jalalpur Sub-sector of Sector-4 in the Liberation War for Bangladesh. Lt. Col. C. R. Dutta (Later Major General) was the Sector Commander of that Sector.
My brother Commander (Captain)
Nizam got martyrdom (‘Shahid’ in Islamic term) in a direct fight with the Pakistani Army and buried in Kanaighat Upazila of Sylhet District. Bangladesh Government gave him the posthumous “Bir Uttom” Award. However, according to General Dutta, he was recommended for the “Bir Sreshtho” Award (the highest title of the country) from the Sector for his leadership and several brilliant fights. He fought against the occupation army in Sector-4 with approximately 400-500 freedom fighters under his command. They had inflicted heavy losses on the occupation army in that area. Commander Nizam was only 22 years old at that time.
Nizam did his BA (Hons.) and M.Com in Management from Dhaka University and was a 3rd batch student of the IBA, Dhaka University. During the non-cooperation movement against the Pakistani regime, he had the student residency in Mohsin Hall and took active part in the movement. On the night of March 25th, 1971, he was in the Hall and witnessed all the destruction and massacre by the Pakistani army with his own eyes. During a short withdrawal of curfew, he left Mohsin Hall and decided to come back to our parents’ home in Cumilla. It was a difficult journey for him to get back home, and sadly, he stayed only a few days. In the meantime, he had decided that he would join the freedom fighters’ movement to liberate the country from Pakistani forces. At the beginning of April, 1971 without informing our parents, he and a few of his friends left for Agartala (in Tripura of India) to join the Liberation War actively. After getting military training in Agartala, he and his friends were sent to Sylhet, under Sector-4 command. Within a short time, Nizam was promoted as 2nd-in- Command of Jalalpur Sub-sector. The Sub-sector Commander position went to a young Awami League leader.
In the Jalalpur Sub-sector, people knew him as Captain Nizam. He was very popular there, so much so that the people of that area commemorated Nizam Bhai by naming Nizam Nagar after him. His dead body was carried out by his compatriots from the battlefield (which was 5-6 KM away) with much difficulty and buried in Jalalpur MokamTila. After liberation, the Bangladeshi government cemented his graveyard with a boundary wall and erected a placard in his name with detailed information.
I am the younger brother of Shahid Nizam and was also a freedom fighter in Sector-2 in our Liberation War. My brother was aware that I had joined the Muktibahini (Bangla term for freedom fighter/liberation army) and that soon I would enter Bangladesh.
In August of 1971, when he was in Agartala, he sent me a message to come to Agartala to meet him at a refugee camp a few kilometres away from town. The person-in-charge of the camp was advocate Amir Hossain, MCA, a constituent assembly member from our Burichang and Brahmanpara Thanas.
I got the message late. When I reached Agartala and went to the camp to see him, I was told that he had already left for the Sector by road. I felt utterly heartbroken for not being able to meet him. After a few weeks, when we were all in our combat areas in Cumilla, I came to know that my brother Commander Nizam had died during a direct fight with the Pakistani army, early in the morning on September 4. I will always regret missing that opportunity to see my brother last time.
After the independence of Bangladesh, in February 1972, I went to Sylhet to see my brother’s graveyard and meet his fellow freedom fighters there. I was told that the Indian Army officer (who was staying in the Sylhet Circuit House) knew my brother very well. I went to the Circuit House and met Captain Kumar from the Rajput division. When he heard that I was the brother of Commander Nizam, he embraced me and introduced me to his family. I told him that I was going to visit my brother’s graveyard, and he immediately offered to take me. His wife also said she would like to visit his grave as she had heard so much of Nizam’s bravery. Capt. Kumar himself drove the car for 33 km from Sylhet, via Zakiganj road, close to the river. I am grateful to Captain Kumar and will never forget his kind gesture. I reached Nizambhai’s graveyard and recited sura Al-Fati?ah-the first chapter of the Holy Qu’ran.
Once Bangladesh got the victory against the occupational forces, a good number of Nizam Bhai’s compatriots came to our house in Cumilla town to meet with my parents to pay their condolences. My brother was loved by everyone who knew him, and we will always feel his loss in our lives.
September 4 is the 49th death anniversary of Bir Uttom Shahid Khwaja Nizamuddin Bhuiyan — my elder brother. He was 2nd-in-Command of Jalalpur Sub-sector of Sector-4 in the Liberation War for Bangladesh. Lt. Col. C. R. Dutta (Later Major General) was the Sector Commander of that Sector.
My brother Commander (Captain)
Nizam got martyrdom (‘Shahid’ in Islamic term) in a direct fight with the Pakistani Army and buried in Kanaighat Upazila of Sylhet District. Bangladesh Government gave him the posthumous “Bir Uttom” Award. However, according to General Dutta, he was recommended for the “Bir Sreshtho” Award (the highest title of the country) from the Sector for his leadership and several brilliant fights. He fought against the occupation army in Sector-4 with approximately 400-500 freedom fighters under his command. They had inflicted heavy losses on the occupation army in that area. Commander Nizam was only 22 years old at that time.
Nizam did his BA (Hons.) and M.Com in Management from Dhaka University and was a 3rd batch student of the IBA, Dhaka University. During the non-cooperation movement against the Pakistani regime, he had the student residency in Mohsin Hall and took active part in the movement. On the night of March 25th, 1971, he was in the Hall and witnessed all the destruction and massacre by the Pakistani army with his own eyes. During a short withdrawal of curfew, he left Mohsin Hall and decided to come back to our parents’ home in Cumilla. It was a difficult journey for him to get back home, and sadly, he stayed only a few days. In the meantime, he had decided that he would join the freedom fighters’ movement to liberate the country from Pakistani forces. At the beginning of April, 1971 without informing our parents, he and a few of his friends left for Agartala (in Tripura of India) to join the Liberation War actively. After getting military training in Agartala, he and his friends were sent to Sylhet, under Sector-4 command. Within a short time, Nizam was promoted as 2nd-in- Command of Jalalpur Sub-sector. The Sub-sector Commander position went to a young Awami League leader.
In the Jalalpur Sub-sector, people knew him as Captain Nizam. He was very popular there, so much so that the people of that area commemorated Nizam Bhai by naming Nizam Nagar after him. His dead body was carried out by his compatriots from the battlefield (which was 5-6 KM away) with much difficulty and buried in Jalalpur MokamTila. After liberation, the Bangladeshi government cemented his graveyard with a boundary wall and erected a placard in his name with detailed information.
I am the younger brother of Shahid Nizam and was also a freedom fighter in Sector-2 in our Liberation War. My brother was aware that I had joined the Muktibahini (Bangla term for freedom fighter/liberation army) and that soon I would enter Bangladesh.
In August of 1971, when he was in Agartala, he sent me a message to come to Agartala to meet him at a refugee camp a few kilometres away from town. The person-in-charge of the camp was advocate Amir Hossain, MCA, a constituent assembly member from our Burichang and Brahmanpara Thanas.
I got the message late. When I reached Agartala and went to the camp to see him, I was told that he had already left for the Sector by road. I felt utterly heartbroken for not being able to meet him. After a few weeks, when we were all in our combat areas in Cumilla, I came to know that my brother Commander Nizam had died during a direct fight with the Pakistani army, early in the morning on September 4. I will always regret missing that opportunity to see my brother last time.
After the independence of Bangladesh, in February 1972, I went to Sylhet to see my brother’s graveyard and meet his fellow freedom fighters there. I was told that the Indian Army officer (who was staying in the Sylhet Circuit House) knew my brother very well. I went to the Circuit House and met Captain Kumar from the Rajput division. When he heard that I was the brother of Commander Nizam, he embraced me and introduced me to his family. I told him that I was going to visit my brother’s graveyard, and he immediately offered to take me. His wife also said she would like to visit his grave as she had heard so much of Nizam’s bravery. Capt. Kumar himself drove the car for 33 km from Sylhet, via Zakiganj road, close to the river. I am grateful to Captain Kumar and will never forget his kind gesture. I reached Nizambhai’s graveyard and recited sura Al-Fati?ah-the first chapter of the Holy Qu’ran.
Once Bangladesh got the victory against the occupational forces, a good number of Nizam Bhai’s compatriots came to our house in Cumilla town to meet with my parents to pay their condolences. My brother was loved by everyone who knew him, and we will always feel his loss in our lives.
(Mr. Bhuiyan worked for international development organ izations and the United Nations, now resides in Canada. E-mail [email protected]).
