Photo: TDM
Barguna Genocide Day is observed on May 29 and 30, commemorating one of the most violent episodes in Barguna's history. In 1971, during the Liberation War, Pakistani invasion forces mercilessly shot and killed 76 innocent Bengalis in Barguna Jail, a place that was considered safe.
Among the martyrs, one stood out—Dhoirjodhar Debnath, the father of Advocate Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, a five-time elected Member of Parliament for Barguna-1 and chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Fisheries and Livestock Ministry. On May 30, Dhoirjodhar Debnath was assassinated, leaving a void that echoed the brutality of those tragic days.
By sheer chance, Nityananda Debnath, Jamini Debnath, Brajabashi Nath, and a few others survived the massacre. When they returned, they recounted that while the elderly prisoners were released, Dhoirjodhar Debnath, the father of Patuakhali College Chattra League president Shambhu, was deliberately held captive. The reason behind this decision was Shambhu's active involvement in the liberation war and his various resistance activities from their home in Barguna town.
Major Nader Parvez of the 6 Punjab Regiment, the Martial Law Administrator for Patuakhali district, announced a reward of one kilogram of gold for the capture of 12 student leaders and freedom fighters, including Shambhu, the prominent student leader.
After multiple failed attempts to capture Shambhu, Major Nader and Captain Shakhawat demanded that Dhoirjodhar Debnath hand over his son or reveal his whereabouts in exchange for his own release. However, as a proud father of a freedom fighter, he refused to accept the condition. At that crucial moment, he valiantly embraced the cruelest fate of death to save his country and his child. The Pakistani forces tortured him inhumanely before shooting him twice.
Advocate Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, the President of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, expressed, "The most barbaric black chapter in the history of Barguna was written on May 29 and 30, 1971. Many innocent people were captured and murdered. My father was one of the great martyrs of that day. He sacrificed his life with unwavering courage to ensure my safety and the independence of our country. It fills me with immense pride but also profound anguish. I humbly pay my respects to all those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation movement, including my father."
During the liberation war, on May 27, under the leadership of Major Nader Parvez, Pakistani forces entered Barguna and occupied the Public Works Dak Bungalow. They collaborated with the officer-in-charge of Barguna Police Station, Anwar Hossain, and Muslim League leaders to plan a systematic massacre. Local Razakar Albadar forces aided them. According to their plan, they ambushed families supporting the liberation movement, tied their hands, and transported them to the camp.
Young women and girls were taken to Dak bungalows, while men were imprisoned. The girls endured demonic torture and were released the following day. The men were supposed to be released after two days, but many of them never returned, leaving their families in anguish.
On May 29 and 30, the Barguna Jail witnessed one of the most heinous incidents of the Liberation War. On the morning of May 29, 42 prisoners were lined up and executed inside the prison. The next morning, another 34 individuals met the same fate. The bodies of these martyrs were never handed over to their families but buried in a mass grave on the west side of the jail. Those who miraculously survived the initial shooting were brutally killed with bayonets and beaten with spades.
While numerous atrocities were committed during the liberation war, massacres inside prisons were particularly rare.
TDM/SD
