1972 accident left several hundred FFs dead

Today is January 6, reminder of the mind blast tragedy that killed a couple of hundreds freedom fighters on the premises of Moharaja Girijanath High School at Balubari in Dinajpur town in 1972.
After the final victory against the Pakistan occupation forces on December 16 in 1971, a transit camp of freedom fighters under sectors 6 and 7 were set up at the school.
Around 800 freedom fighters were staying at the camp while hundreds of mines and mortar shells left by the Pakistan occupation forces at different places were gathered and kept there.
In the afternoon on January 6 in 1972, an accidental mine blast led to a series of explosions, shaking several square kilometres of area and covering the school premises with thick smoke bellowing high. Orgy of blood and blown up limbs of the freedom fighters created a pathetic scene in the area.
Around 200 freedom fighters died met tragic end of their life on the spot and many other injured ones died later, said Dinajpur Municipality Mayor Md Shafiqul Haque, also a freedom fighter and an eyewitness of the incident.
Bodies of 86 martyred freedom fighters and detached limbs of unidentified others were buried at Chehelgaz in Dinajour Sadar upazila with state honour the following day. Later 27 more martyred freedom fighters were buried.
Later a memorial was built in honour of the mine blast tragedy victims on the premises of Moharaja Girijanath High School.