The people of Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj district got the taste of freedom on the day in 1971, three days after the nation’s victory on December 16.
On December 19, the valiant freedom fighters of the district and allied forces declared the upazila free by hoisting the national flag of Bangladesh atop the Mini Cantonment house of the Bhatiapara Wireless Station.
According to Enayet Hossain, former commander of the Kashiani Upazila unit of the Freedom Fighters’ Association, Bhatiapara—situated at the border of Gopalganj, Faridpur, and Narail—was strategically important due to its railway junction and river port. Consequently, the area witnessed repeated battles between Pakistani forces and freedom fighters. Though the Bhatiapara mini cantonment was within Gopalganj, it was a key target for fighters from all three districts, resulting in intense combat.
Enayet Hossain said the Pakistani military established a base at the wireless station in May 1971. For nearly seven months, a contingent of 65 Pakistani soldiers carried out brutal repression, torture, and mass killings of unarmed civilians. Many victims were murdered, and their bodies were dumped into the Madhumati River. On December 6, a group of Pakistani soldiers fled from the nearby Joy Bangla Pukurpaar mini cantonment and regrouped at Bhatiapara with modern weapons. Earlier, on November 6, two fierce battles had taken place over control of the cantonment. One battle lasted 15 hours, with Pakistani forces using aerial attacks, yet the freedom fighters held their ground. During these clashes, Mir Mohiul Haque Mintoo and AQM Zainul Abedin were martyred.
The second phase of fighting began on December 16, the day of Bangladesh’s overall victory. After three days of continuous combat, freedom fighter commanders from Narail, Gopalganj, and Faridpur launched a coordinated early-morning attack on December 19. Following heroic resistance, 65 Pakistani soldiers surrendered to the Mukti Bahini and Allied Forces around 10:00am. Six Pakistani soldiers were killed, while freedom fighters Moshiur Rahman Sikder, Anil Kumar Biswas, Mojibor Rahman, and Mohammad Hannan Sheikh became martyrs.
After the victory, the dark green national flag bearing the red sun and map of Bangladesh was hoisted over the Bhatiapara cantonment. With this, Bhatiapara and the entire Gopalganj region were finally liberated. Jubilant freedom fighters organized victory processions, and hundreds of pro-liberation residents joined in, celebrating the historic triumph with joy.
