Golahat Genocide, Bangladesh
Golahat genocide was a killing mission of Pakistan occupational army and Non-Bengali Bihari on the Hindu people of Saidpur on the 13 June 1971.
Gabindo Chandra Das (A lucky Escapee from Golahat Genocide)
Gabindo Chandra Das (60), Father : Monindra Nath Das, T.R. Road, Saidpur, Nilphamari, Occupation : Teaching
Place of interview and Date : His own house, 14 August 2012
Initiation
Pakistani army captured common people subjected for using them working in the Saidpur airport. People worked there morning till night even without eating anything all day. Pakistani army made them work inhumanly. If anyone loosed in the time of doing the work. they were tortured viciously.
On 31 May we were reached in our home under the vigilance of some police. We lived few says at home. On 6 June some Bihari people came and said, “A major called you” We went to the cantonment at once and detained. There were many known and unknown people seized earlier.
I saw torture spots on everyone’s body parts. After passing two or four days, Bihari leader Kaium Munshi came and beat us, and he alleged to a army captain many things against us. On 12 June some Bihari came and told us, “All of you today will be sent to India by a train. You better go to India. India is your sole address.”
Occurrence of the genocide on 13 June
As per they said, all off we were loaded onto a truck to the station. Before we were brought in there, our family members had been conveyed. We got scared, in spite of all uncertainties we felt forced to get into the train. The train was made full by the Hindu Maroyari people. 30 to 40 passengers were in a compartment. Most of the passengers were know to one another. But none urged anything to anyone. At dawn, nearly at 5a.m. the train started towards Cilahati. No sooner had the train started traveling it stopped abruptly.
The non-Bengali people got into the train disguised in police dress. All they had gun, big chopper, spear, machete in their hand and ferocity in their visage. Few of them scold the passengers- “We will killed ‘the malaun’ now” Then they captured one by one and strike repeatedly and randomly. Crying, screaming, mourning and pleading were all over the train.They masked their face, so it was not possible to identify them, however I recognized few of them.
How I escape
Mugger Mohiudding, Shukur kosai (Slaughter Shukur), Sompat headed the killing mission. Being afraid my father said, “Gobindo, call god” Then bowing down to my father I said, “since I have to die, I should defend some of them into death.” Saying this I pulled a brass plate from my mother and when approached to the gate, Sampat faced me, at that time I slapped Sampat in his face by the plate. Sampat nose was teared and blooded. When he covered his face by hand, I pushed him and out by jumping on the air, ran to the eastward.
Few members of the killer group ran after me but failed and went back. Some non-Bengali police fired me, but I escaped luckily. After running half an hour at a stress, I stopped beside a bamboo bush and rested.
My all family members were killed by non-Bengali people and Pakistani army on that day. I was almost out of sense. Bearing patience, hardening my mind, lamenting for losing my father, mother, brothers and sisters I went to India for asylum.
Translated by Dibbendu Dwip
