DS: 16 Dec 2008 Supplement: Interview on Fateh Ali Chowdhury

Daily Star
16 December 2008 Special Issue

Interview on Fateh Ali Chowdhury
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2008/16th_dec/mundane.htm

“Free the mundane present from the glorious past”

Asrar Chowdhury

1971. Three million lives. 266 days. 7.83 lives per minute. This is just the human price Bangladesh paid for her freedom. Fate had it I missed the 1971 'Train to Bangladesh'. History wasn't on my side. I belong to the post-1971 generation. As a Nation we're lucky though. The 'living' of 1971 have preserved the stories of the 'dead' of 1971. Through these stories, the fire and the spirit of 1971 have been preserved for us. If another train does blow her whistle in my lifetime, I surely won't miss it.

Any student of the Muktijuddha has heard the name of Fateh Ali Chowdhury. A Freedom Fighter of Sector 2, he was a part of a few critical operations of our Muktibahini. The irony is, not too many have heard him speak about his experiences and thoughts on the Muktijuddha. He likes to stay away from the limelight. But then. The post-1971 generation can't always accept silence as a virtue. I couldn't resist myself when I heard he agreed to talk about his experiences and thoughts on 1971. I certainly didn't want to miss this 'Train.'

When the Muktijuddha started, Fateh Ali Chowdhury was a student of the final year in English at Dhaka University. Bright careers chased University students in those days. But that wasn't to be. Life seldom goes as planned. His was a generation that was at the crossroads of history. Many like him soon found themselves pursuing a much brighter career. Defending the honour of the Motherland to establish the foundations of a Free Bangladesh.

“We didn't decide to go to war. It just happened. After the crackdown on 26 March, when we saw our own people being slaughtered like game, we found ourselves in a position where joining the war was the only option. And like many others, we went out to defend the honour of the Motherland”. Fateh Bhai puffed his cigarette and carried on. “This is probably the same story of all of us who fought in 1971.”

Fateh Ali Chowdhury was a member of the Crack Platoon of Sector 2. The Dhaka Operation of Crack Platoon 2 in late August 1971 is a turning point in our Muktijuddha. There may be romanticism in fighting a war, but the scars can stay for as long as one lives. On 29 August, nine Freedom Fighters of Crack Platoon 2 were caught. Rumi, Altaf Mahmud, Chullu, Badi, Jewel and Bakr were among them. Fateh Bhai became emotional. “It was then we realised there was no turning back.”

Two names, Fateh Ali Chowdhury and Habibul Alam will go down in history in the first two days of the existence of Bangladesh as an independent nation. The waiting was worth its weight in gold that day. To be able to hear the story from Fateh Bhai himself!

“Crack Platoon entered Dhaka on 16 December 1971” started Fateh Bhai. “Bangladesh was now a free country. I went inside Dhaka Cantonment with the Four Guards Regiment of the Indian Army in search of any Freedom Fighters who could have been held as prisoners. But I could not trace anybody in the total chaotic situation. I learned from a source that some of our Freedom Fighters from the Crack Platoon Operation of 29 August could be alive and were held in Dhaka Central Jail.”

“In the mean time, Habibul Alam and I decided it would be appropriate to open the Radio and BTV. The next morning, 17 December, we went to the Radio Office. Earlier, we contacted Shamsul Huda Chowdhury, Former Regional Director of Radio. He advised us on how to open the Radio. This would be the first broadcast in the air media of Independent Bangladesh. I clearly remember what I said”, Fateh Bhai said with emotional eyes.

“I am Fateh Ali Chowdhury, a Freedom Fighter of Sector 2. On behalf of the Fourth Bengal Regiment, Major Haider of Sector 2, Officer Commanding of Dhaka Operation will now speak”. There was a pause. Fateh Bhai took a deep breath. “Sir (Major Haider) spoke.”

“We then rushed off to Dhaka Central Jail. There wasn't a moment to lose.”

“Habibul Alam and I reached Dhaka Central Jail before noon. We asked the Jail Officer if there were any Freedom Fighters among the prisoners. And then we asked how many of the prisoners could be freed according to Law.”

“We learned that four Freedom Fighters were in the Jail. They were Masud Sadeque Chullu, Abdus Samad, Kazi Iqbal and Ahsanullah. The Jail Officer made a list of the Freedom Fighters, Political Prisoners, and those charged with Petty Crimes who could be freed according to Law. He handed the list to Habibul Alam. Habib signed on behalf of the Fourth Bengal Regiment. I countersigned. Dhaka Jail was opened. We then went to open BTV.”

“Shamsul Huda Chowdhury advised us to contact Ejaz Ahmed to open BTV. We did so. This time I was more tensed than the entire nine months of our freedom struggle. Shimul Billah sang the National Anthem. We made the same statement as we did on Radio. And that was it. Our Radio, Dhaka Jail and BTV were opened.”

"I was just the rubber-stamp of history. If I weren't there that day, somebody else would have done what I did. In the words of my friend, the noted singer Azam Khan, I want to say 'Today Bangladesh is free. And this is my achievement.'"

“Very few Nations have the privilege of fighting a War of Independence. It's true that I was one of the Freedom Fighters who fought with arms. But then, a true victory would never have been possible if the Nation didn't participate. Those who didn't fight with arms are also Freedom Fighters. The death toll itself speaks. We fought the Muktijuddha as One Nation. I'm honoured to have been a part of this history. That's all.”

I had to ask Fateh Bhai the question many would like to ask. “Why don't you normally talk about 1971”? Fateh Bhai looked at me. His eyes gave the indication I was about to witness history in the making.

“History cannot be contemporaneous. What I am saying now and you are writing is documentation only. History can only be written by posterity.”

I now understood Fateh Bhai's 'sounds of silence'. But then. The post-1971 generation expects more than just mere documentation. Fateh Bhai looked at me again. This time his eyes had a childlike look. He wanted to say something to us.

“The spirit and the fire of 1971 now rest in the hands of the young of today's Bangladesh. It's your responsibility to play your part in taking Bangladesh forward. It's your responsibility to do something positive for your posterity. This is all our generation expects. Nothing more. Nothing less!”

Fateh Ali Chowdhury's famous last words were “Free the mundane present from the glorious past!”

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Mirza M Eyahia and Rezaul Amin, Freedom Fighters of Sector 2 for arranging the interview.


Asrar Chowdhury is a Faculty in Economics at Jahangirnagar University.