The year 1971 is a glorious chapter in our country’s history and although the contributions of other institutions and persons are duly appreciated and recognized, the recognition and appreciation of Bangladesh Police as an institution may have been under appreciated. However, the present sanguine government has recognized the gallantry role of Bangladesh Police through giving the highest Liberation war medal.
The book that emerged nearly four decades later is a vivid history of our police bravery and fallen officers’ records; it boldly echoes the voice of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. ‘Muktijuddhe Prothom Protirodh’ has been anthologized in such a way to spread out the indomitable role and igniting contributions of the members of Bangladesh Police in our Liberation war.
Bangladesh Police, as an institution, was the first to counter attack and resist the oppressive military of Pakistan, just at zero hour, the very beginning of the war. This anthology consists of more than thirty articles written by different scholastic police professionals such as Md Moniruzzaman, BPM, PPM, and Mahbub Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram. In addition, some articles of this collection have also been contributed by profoundly acclaimed citizens of Bangladesh, for example Matia Chowdhury and Ali Zaker. Containing almost two hundred pages, this authentic documentation of our Liberation war has been published by Bangladesh Police Liberation War Museum as a debut of its kind.
Habibur Rahman, DIG of Bangladesh Police edited this book with a brilliant opening and introduction. He narrated the urge for such an anthology, benignly accounted the timeline of the origin of this book and authentically depicted the historic sacrifice of our fallen police officers and constables for the long cherished freedom of our nation just with an order of the heroic leader Bangabandhu. It was reported in the Australian daily The Age on 27 March, 1971 “Pakistan armed forces suddenly attacked the East Pakistan Rifle base at Pilkhana and Rajarbagh, at zero hours today, March 26, killing a lot of unarmed people. Bitter fighting is going on with the EPR and the Police force. People are fighting gallantly for the cause of freedom of Bangladesh.”
DIG Habibur Rahman took this initiative from the deepest core of his heart with the holiest objective to let others know the truest historic role and sacrifice of every police officers of liberation war. To many scholars and professionals, this debut will pledge him in a heartiest place among future generation.
‘Muktijuddhe Prothom Protirodh’ not only describes the facts but also connects this fact to future. It not only collected the facts from Police officers but also from eminent citizens to bridge the collaboration of our glorious past and foreseeable bright future.
The book has been appreciated by readers from every corner of the country and there has been a demand for it to be in digital platforms. There have been requests to translate it in different languages, particularly in English and enhance the circulation of this anthology around the world among scholars and historians. ‘Muktijuddhe Prothom Protirodh’ is brilliantly researched as well as compiled, and is the beginning of wisdom in this journey of connecting Bangladesh Police’s past to its future.
The reviewer Md Mahfuzul Islam Al Asad has been serving as civil service officer, currently pursuing LLM studies in Japan.
Md Mahfuzul Islam Al Asad
