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BARISHAL, Dec 8, 2025 (BSS) - Barisal today observed its Liberation Day with deep respect, commemorating the historic moment on December 8, 1971, when freedom fighters liberated the city after the Pakistani occupation forces fled under mounting resistance.

On this triumphant day 54 years ago, the flag of Swadhin Bengal was hoisted across Barishal, symbolizing the city’s hard-won freedom.

According to documented accounts of the Liberation War in the region, resistance in Barishal began immediately after Operation Searchlight was launched in Dhaka at midnight on March 25, 1971. Freedom fighters seized the keys to the police armory from then Superintendent of Police Fakhrul Islam, moving hundreds of rifles and ammunition to the residence of Nurul Islam Manjur’s Peshkar.

At dawn on March 26, Sector Commander MA Jalil and local fighters established the first Swadhin Bengal Secretariat in the southern region at the Government Girls’ School in Barishal, which served as their operational base for a month.

The Pakistani army advanced toward Barishal on April 25, attacking simultaneously by road, air and river routes. They were confronted by freedom fighters at the junction of the Charbaria and Goura rivers.

 After carrying out a brutal massacre in Charbaria—killing more than 50 civilians—the Pakistani troops set up their southern command at the Barishal Water Development Board (WAPDA) office near the Kirtankhola River. 

Bunkers were dug, heavy weaponry was deployed, and a terrifying pattern of abduction, torture, and execution began. Nearly 3,000 people were killed near the canals and bridges adjacent to this WAPDA camp over the nine months of the war.

As freedom fighter operations intensified in December, panic grew among Pakistani soldiers and their local collaborators. An indefinite curfew was imposed from the night of December 7. After a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on the morning of December 8, the occupation forces attempted to flee Barishal by water.
 
However, the Indian Air Force intercepted them, firing on gunboats, steamers and launches. Many, including the local commander Yogi Shajahan Chowdhury, were killed.

The notorious WAPDA Colony, once a center of torture and mass killings, has since been transformed into a Liberation War memorial, preserving its dilapidated structures as reminders of the atrocities committed. Freedom fighters recall being imprisoned and tortured there, describing it as one of the largest torture centers in the southern region.

Veteran freedom fighter and Nationalist Freedom Fighters’ Party central vice-president Nurur Alam Farid recounted how several groups of Pakistani troops entered Barishal on April 25 through Steamer Ghat, BSCIC and Charbaria, later fortifying the Water Development Board Colony near Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital. Bunkers were constructed along the Sagardi Canal, where armed guards maintained strict control.

Another veteran, Israel Pandit, described the WAPDA Colony as the region’s largest slaughterhouse, stating that no accurate count exists of the people tortured r killed there.

Visitors continue to flock to the preserved torture cell, now open daily from 4 pm to 8 pm. With somber lighting and background audio, the site evokes strong emotions among visitors. One visitor, Sharif Uddin, noted that people often arrive out of curiosity but leave with a renewed understanding of the sacrifices made for Bangladesh’s independence. “Standing here, one realizes—this homeland was earned with blood,” he said.

As Barishal observes Liberation Day, residents and visitors alike reaffirm their commitment to preserving the memory of the Liberation War and honoring the sacrifices that secured Bangladesh’s freedom.