বাংলা 
English 
7 December. On this day in '71, the historic Amla-Sadarpur of Mirpur in Kushtia observes its liberation day from the Pakistani occupation forces. The area was freed as the achievement of the valour of the brave freedom fighters in the great Liberation War. On this day in 1971, at the cost of great sacrifice and endurance, Amla-Sadarpur was freed from the Pakistani occupiers.
During the Liberation War, the brave sons of this area led the fighting in greater Kushtia. They joined the war under the leadership of the valiant freedom fighter Marfat Ali, chief of the BLF. Risking their own lives they threw themselves into battle, and snatched victory. Remembering this day, people still carry that proud memory in their hearts. They want the new generation to be inspired by the spirit of the Liberation War.
Valiant freedom fighter Lutfor Rahman says:
The Pakistani forces' main action camp in Kushtia district was set up at Amla. Occupation forces from various areas used to come and stay here. What is now Amla Government College was then the stronghold of the Pakistani forces. Under the leadership of the valiant freedom fighter Marfat Ali, the freedom fighters of this region received various war trainings. He further says that on 5 December 1971, owing to the valour of the freedom fighters at Jessore, the Pakistani occupation forces, carrying their weapons, ammunition, tanks, rocket launchers and other heavy weapons, came from there through Jhenaidah to the Aburi-Magura area of Mirpur upazila in Kushtia, to the occupation army's camp at Amla.
On 6 December 1971, under Marfat Ali's leadership it was decided that we would attack the occupation army's camp at Amla from all sides. Getting word of our attack, the forces stationed at the Amla camp were alerted. At the time we freedom fighters split into about 17 groups - Commander A.S.M. Musa (Chand), Nuruzzaman Khan, Aftab Uddin Khan, guerrilla commander Abdur Rashid Furkan, Ashkor Ali, Rahat Ali, Afsar Ali, Sadek Ali and others formed separate groups. On 7 December we decided to attack from all sides at once. But on receiving this news, the occupation forces quickly broke the Sagarkhali bridge at Amla and fled from Amla to Kushtia. With that, the freedom fighters won their decisive victory at Amla.
The valiant freedom fighters and the freedom-loving common people rejoiced. The sun of independence rose over Amla. Guerrilla freedom fighter Abdur Rashid Furkan says: the most memorable event of this great Liberation War was that the same hands with which we killed the Pakistanis also served our comrades. I saw thousands of people dying. I managed to strike the enemies. I heard the wailing of women. They were none of my own kin, yet that day it felt as if they were all our own. Seeing mothers and sisters killed so brutally only strengthened our inspiration to fight. Our confidence and the anguished cries of ordinary people helped us make our country independent. The memory of that terrible day still rings in my ears. The wailing of mothers and sisters and the crying of children still come back to me.
I believe that on this soil of independent Bangladesh the Razakars of that day and their accomplices should be tried and hanged. That would bring peace to the souls of that day's martyrs. This land will be freed of Razakars once and for all. The valiant freedom fighters Ashkor Ali and Rahat Ali lament that although 47 years have passed since Amla was liberated, this day is not observed.
There is no medium for telling the new generation the tales of the valour of this area's freedom fighters. We observe Kushtia Liberation Day, and the occupation-free days of Mirpur, Bheramara, Daulatpur, Khoksa and Kumarkhali. Likewise we demand that an Amla Liberation Day be observed, together with the demand for a memorial plaque to the freedom fighters at Amla. Valiant freedom fighter Mohammad Ali says that, alongside preserving the memories of the Amla-Sadarpur Liberation War, they demand the preservation of Amla's beel (wetland). Under the initiative of the Amla-Sadarpur Regional Freedom Fighter Command, a day-long programme of various events was organised on this 7 December, Friday of 2018. In the morning a victory rally was held, floral wreaths were laid at the shrine of martyr Marfat Ali, and a programme of reminiscences of the Liberation War was arranged.
Information courtesy: Kanchon Kumar, Andolon-er Bazar.
