HISTORY OF THE LIBERATION WAR

Sheik Mujibur and the Awami League declared a non-violent protest throughout East Pakistan. He had won the Pakistan election but the Pakistan government refused to recognize the Awami League government. Yahya Khan and Sheik Mujibur held a meeting in Dhaka on March 15. On March 15, 1971 increased violence in Dhaka and Awami League declare independence. Many people killed by the Pak Army in Dhaka. The Jalchata staff in the Leprosarium go to Dhaka and their jeep was fired on near the Cantonment.. E.P.R. and Pakistani fight in Mymensingh and Joydapur Cantonments. On March 29th Pakistani, Bengali E.P.R. take over the Jalchatra Mission. People walking from Dhaka and describe the terrible slaughter of civilians by the Pak Army. April 1st British Nationals leave the country. Awami League students training in Mutagacha. Fr. Mario, SX shot in Jessore on April 4th. Students attack the Joloi Air Force Camp and kill the Pakistan Air Force officers. On April 5, Kosru, Major Sufiulla, Kushru and Samat take over Jalchatra Mission with Muktis. On April 11, Easter Sunday two Pak police executed in Chunia by the Muktis.
April 12, US Council comes by jeep from Dhaka and orders all US citizens to leave. We say no. April 13, 14 Pak Army attack Madhupur Bazar burning and looting. They take refuge in the fertilizer godown and are all killed. On April 14th the Indian Army officers, Captains Baljit Singh and Captain Negi come to the Mission and take the muktis to India. April 15, gun firing in Madhupur and all flee the area. Major Saidulla takes over the Jalchatra Mission camp and goes to India with the Muktis. April 18th, Pak Army in Madhupur. Amulla Noegi’s chokidar shot. Amulla takes refuge in various baris and eventually in the Mission. Terrible slaughter of Biharis in Mymensingh. April 19th Madhupur Bazar leveled by gun fire.
April 23, 1971. Fr. Tripi and Fr. Homrich return to the Mission from the Hospital. At 8:30 PM the Mission is hit with 12, 3 ½ inch mortars from Rasulpur. April 24th the Army attacked the mission.
April 24 the Pak Army attacked the mission and burned the thatch school. They machine gunned the hospital but the patients were hiding in the rice fields. Patients that hadn’t walked for 20 years ran and hid in the rice paddy. April 25, I moved back to the Mission. Real quiet and all the villagers were gone. April 15th Siraj Islam and Fallu of Kakraid destroy the little Mandi Hindu temple in Jalchtra and Hakim Mullavi read the Koran on the ruins in Jalchatra. June 8. Sr. Emmanuel killed in Baromari when her jeep ran over a mine. I drove up there and ran over another mine that didn’t explode. Fr. Gillespe, CSC stayed in Baromari. July 10, Mulukbari looted and Dorgacholla Mandis come North with their cattle. Bilpar looted. About July 15, 2001 Peter Kann of the Wall Street Journal and Lee Lescos of the Washington Post meet out Mukti commander, Rafazuddin in Jonil Hagidok’s Bari in Beduria. We drove through the Pak Army but they didn’t try to stop us. Peter got the Pultizer Prize for his writing and courage. Our Mukti commander, Rafazuddin protected our area courageously.
July 22, 1971. Bilpar, Dorgacholla looted. Pak Army goes to Beduria, Pirgacha and Thanarbaid. They shot Odor Rema in Pirgacha, Gojen Pal and Fr. Timothy’s father Modon Mri in Thanarbaid. Tangail DC and SP called a meeting in Rusulpur with Fr. Homrich, CSC and 43 Mandi leaders. Brigadier Asadulla said he was going to shoot us. I told him: "no objection" but I’d like to know where he was trained. He said in the US Army in New Jersey. I said the newspaper would have: "American trained Brigadier shoots American priest." He told us to go home but the Pak Army burned a Hindu village in Payijan and shot two Mandai women. August 1, 1971: many Hindus being hunted and killed in Muktagacha. 15 being held and tortured.
Aug. 3, 11 Hindu bodies counted in the river. 90 Hindu girls here in the Mission and all learned the prayers and said they were Christian. No one was converted but all had
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Christian names when the Pak Army came. Aug.5: Gun battle in Kakraid and the bridge in Kakraid blown by the Indian Army and "Muktis". The bridges in Bortolla and Lengura also blown on the Mymensingh road. Eight men beaten up in Kakraid and I treated them in the dispensary. Podabari and other villages burnt and public shot near Chechua. 235 Muslim women and babies shot in Mainkun near Chechua Muluvi Salam and his father said the village was feeding the Muktis. They would not let us bury the bodies.
Aug. 7. road to Mymensingh open again but Bilpar burnt to the ground and Mandis take refuge in Moraid, Shapmara and Idilpur. August 12. A lot of shooting around Dorgacholla and 200 Mandis come to Idilpur. Fr. Tripi tried to go to Dorgacholla but too much shooting and burning by the Pak Army and rajakars. Aug. 18th. 18 Mandi girls take refuge at the Mission. Dr.Sudunkshu of Chapri Bazar beaten to death. Three Muslim girls raped by the Pak Army in Dorgacholla. August 27th...many Hindus made Muslim and their girls raped by the Pak Army near Donbari. August 28. Two Tumelia Sisters Cecelia and Dutta take over the hospital. August 29 Garo girls coming to the Mission from Nalikhali and North Bagra. Sept. 22. Pak Army opens a "Mujait" camp at Dokhola. Mandi girls raped in Gaira by the devils. Sonaram of Malajani arrested with his wife and Kalu. They were taken to Muktagacha and tortured. Fr. Homrich tried to get them freed but they were not released until I went to Mymensingh and the Brigadier freed them. Rajakars force Mandi boys to join them but the boys fled.Oct. 18th Two Mandai pregnant women raped by rajakars in Amlitola.
Sisters Francelia and Bruno, CSC return on Oct. 31. Nov. 15th, we move 83 girls to the hospital for safe keeping. Nov. 7. Hindu families from Muktagacha flee to Jalchatra as the Muktis fighting Pak Army and burning the jute godowns. One Hindu woman, Santi, bayoneted five times in the neck and her husband killed in Muktagacha.
News received about the death of Fr. Bill Evans, CSC on Nov. 13th . He was shot by the Pak Army in Nowabganj on the way to Boxnagore. He came to the country 24 years before and worked in Garo land.
Dec. 11. Indian Army fighting in Jamalpur. They capture the town along with Mymensingh Town. The Pak Army drove by the Mission on the way to Dhaka but were shot by Kader Siddique and Muktees. Pak Army fled from Jamalpur and were hiding in a ditch in front of the hospital. They fled when the Muktis flushed them out. We are liberated by Captain Balgit Singh of the Indian Army. Cease-fire on Dec. 17th and all. go home. Taken from the Jalchatra Chronicles
May 25, 2009
Rev. Eugene E. Homrich,CSC
Pastor. St. Paul’s Church,
Pirgacha, Madhupur,Tangail.