Lalmonirhat free day today

On this day in 1971, the northern border district was freed from the Pakistani occupation forces. The district town was the headquarters of Sector 6 during the Liberation War.

Freedom fighter (FF) Abdul Karim, 73, a retired railway staff of the area, said as Lalmonirhat was a railway divisional town, many Biharis (Urdu-speaking people) lived here as railway employees.

During the war, Pakistani army with the help of the Biharis easily attacked Bangalees and picked up local women and tortured them at camps, he said.

Another FF Shafiqul Islam Mantu, 69, said getting message from sector commander Air Marshal Khademul Bashar on December 3, freedom fighters attacked Pakistani soldiers at different points in the district.

While fleeing Lalmonirhat, the Pakistani soldiers damaged a portion of Teesta Railway Bridge over the river Teesta by hurling bombs on December 5, he said.

We declared free Lalmonirhat from Pakistani occupation at dawn on December 6 and hoisted our national flag with slogan Joy Bangla in Lalmonirhat town,” said Mantu, also the freedom fighters' platoon commander during the Liberation War in the town.