23rd March
The first hoisting of Independent Bangladesh’s flag in Pabna.
The turbulent March in 1971.
The month of our independence. Every single day of march was unique and important for the movement. The civil disobedience movement against the Pak government was started during this period.
The flag of independent Bangladesh was hoisted in Dhaka University on 2nd March and the next day it was hoisted in Paltan field. People of Bengal witnessed the existence of the new flag during the speech of 7th march.
In this continuation, on 23rd March, the Republic day of Pakistan, the new flag of Bangladesh was hoisted in most of the public offices instead of the Pakistani flag.
On this day an assembly was called by the student leaders of Pabna at the Town hall field on 10:00 AM.
In the meantime after hoisting the new flag on March 3rd, a design of the new flag was brought in Pabna by a student leader named Muhammad Iqbal. He was a renowned leader in Dhaka University.
Then his brother Muhammad Ismat and the office secretary of Students’ League Abul Kashem Ujjwal were given duty to make flags according to the design. Then they prepared two same flags of independent Bangladesh from the shop of Lalu, the brother of commissioner Firoz .
The flag was hoisted on 23rd March at the Town Hall field, Pabna.
Freedom fighters holding the leadership of Sarbadaliya Chhatra sangram parishad were also there to be the witness of that glorifying moment.
Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu (the current President of Bangladesh), Rafiqul Islam Bakul, Abdus Sattar Lalu, Baby Islam, Shirin Banu Mitil, Robiul Islam Robi, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Ismat, Jahurul Islam Bishu, Isharot Ali Jinnah, Akhil Ranjan Basak Bhanu, Khandaker Awal Kabir, Rezaul Rahim Lal, Abdur Rahim Pakon, Golam Sarwar Sadhon, Abdul Kader and many more were present there
After hoisting the new flag, the leaders of Sarbadaliya Sangram Parishad delivered their valuable speeches.
Then they burnt a Pakistani flag in front of ours, as an act of protest.
Writer: Amirul Islam Ranga (Freedom fighter and former journalist)
Art: Ikbal Hossain
Translated by: Ananyo Haider, European University of Bangladesh
