Tripura park to treasure war history

People gather on the occasion of foundation laying ceremony for a Liberation War memorial and a commemorative park at Chottakhola, Tripura yesterday. Inset, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni along with other guests during the function. Photo: Star

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, who laid the foundation of a Liberation War memorial and a commemorative park here, said yesterday that the establishment would be a source of inspiration for the freedom lovers of the world.
“On full completion of the project, this tiny Chottakhola will be a place of inspiration for the freedom loving people of the world,” she said while addressing a huge gathering at Chottakhola, a border village at Rajanagar under Belonia of South Tripura.
Chottakhola, 130 kilometres from Tripura's capital Agartala, had functioned as one of the 11 warfront-camps in Tripura in 1971.
The village took a festive look yesterday as people from near and far gathered to witness the foundation laying ceremony.
Amid applause from thousands hoisting miniature flags of Bangladesh and India, Dipu Moni said people of Bangladesh would never forget contribution of India, especially of Tripura, in the Liberation War.
"The people of India extended their support to the Liberation War of Bangladesh. Freedom fighters of our country and Indian soldiers fought together to free the country from Pakistani occupation forces,” she added.
“The history and culture of both Bangladesh and India have been guiding us to go together, work together and solve all outstanding issues mutually,” said the foreign minister.
Tripura Rural Development, Commerce and Forest Minister Jitendra Chaudhury and Finance Minister Badal Chaudhury accompanied her.
After laying the foundation stone of the Bharat-Bangladesh Maitree Udyan (India-Bangladesh Friendship Park) Dipu Moni said Chottakhola was one of the base camps of Muktijoddhas [Bangladeshi freedom fighters] from where they launched guerrilla warfare against the Pakistani army in Chittagong, Comilla and greater Noakhali.
She said the memorial would help next generations of Bangladesh know their independence history and how the two friendly neighbours helped each other for the country's liberation.
Located near the international border, the Maitree Udyan is a park being built at Chottakhola as a tribute to Indian soldiers and Bangladeshi freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War.
Speaking at the function, Tripura Finance Minister Badal Chowdhury said in the 1971 war, a training camp of Mukti Bahini (liberation force) was set up in the bordering village. Remains of bunkers, trenches and graveyards can still be found there.
Badal Choudhury did his primary education in the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
A verdant 20 hectare-land dotted with seven hillocks and a lake will house a memorial and a museum to commemorate Indian soldiers and Mukti Bahini.
The park, being built by Tripura government, will also have a statue of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of the country's independence.
The friendship park is near the Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary and a 500-year-old mosque, bordering Bangladesh.
Talking to The Daily Star, Prof Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University History department, who has been involved with the planning of the park and memorial, said the local people discovered a mosque on a hillock in the dense forest during the Babri Mosque row in 1992.
He said the mosque has a similarity with the Babri Mosque and since December 6, 1992 people of Tripura have been arranging solidarity rally every year to maintain communal harmony.
Prof Mesbah Kamal said a museum exhibiting arms and ammunition, war materials, rare photographs, newspapers and war-time literature would also be set up in the area, which has already turned into a memorial and ecological conservation zone, about 130 km south of Agartala.
Tripura Minister Jitendra Chaudhury told the gathering the memorial park was a long cherished demand of Tripura people as they were actively involved in the Liberation War. They provided all-out support to freedom fighters and sheltered around 1.6 million people, a number exceeding the then population of the state.
The commemorative park, which will have a big tower from which parts of Noakhali and Feni would be visible, would cost around Rs 2.30 crore and would be funded by the Tripura state government.
Dipu Moni, who arrived in Tripura on Wednesday, left for Dhaka yesterday ending her two-day visit.
Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Rajeet Mitter, Bangladesh High Commissioner to New Delhi Tariq A Karim, among others, addressed the function.
Leading cultural personality Nasiruddin Yusuf was present on the occasion.