Photo : BSS

RANGAMATI, Dec 17, 2025 (BSS) - Rangamati was freed from the Pakistani occupation forces on December 17,1971.

On December 17, 1971, one day after the national Victory Day, the national flag of independent Bangladesh was hoisted for the first time in the Rangamati Hill District, formally ending enemy occupation in the area.

Following the outbreak of the Liberation War in March 1971, Pakistani troops occupied Rangamati, Ramgarh and Bandarban in May, when the Chittagong Hill Tracts were still an undivided district. The occupation continued for several months despite resistance from freedom fighters and local people.

At the final stage of the nine-month-long war, the Bangladesh Air Force carried out an aerial attack on Pakistani military positions in Barkal of Rangamati using two fighter jets on December 14. The offensive significantly weakened enemy defenses in the region.

Freedom fighter Chittaranjan Das told BSS that on December 15, members of the Allied Forces and the Mukti Bahini launched a coordinated attack on Pakistani positions in Barkal. Unable to withstand the assault, the occupying troops retreated, allowing the joint forces to advance and take control of Rangamati.

Although Pakistani forces officially surrendered at the Race Course ground in Dhaka on December 16, the liberation of Rangamati was delayed as some members of the Mizo Bahini, allied with the occupying forces, were still present in 
the area.

On December 17, Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Manish Dewan, a brave freedom fighter, hoisted the national flag in Rangamati, symbolizing the district's complete liberation. Thousands of jubilant people poured into the streets, celebrating independence while mourning the losses suffered during the war.

Since independence, December 17 has been observed every year in Rangamati as Liberation Day from Pakistani invaders, commemorating the sacrifices of freedom fighters and the resilience of the local people.