[Tigers_eye]

I was very little then. So much so can't remember anything. But have listened through mother and others so many times.

Dad already was moved to Pakistani jail we didn't know his wear abouts or even if he was alive or not. We lived in 1/3 Dilu road, New Eskaton then.
August 18, 1971 I think (the date may be wrong).
Member in the house: My two elder sisters, mother, grand parents (nana-nanu), two Aunts (mother's younger sisters) and two relatives (uncle- and his dad) who came from khulna for medical checkups the day before. Little after midnight, a man came rushing behind the house (there were a passage) knocking at my G parents window saying "khalamma, khalu kay ekhoni ber hotey bolen. Army ashtasey, ar light jalaiey na. Amar gaye kisu nai." (Aunty, ask uncle to get out of the house right now. Army is coming, and don't turn on the lights. I am naked.) it was a targeted raid. 49 houses that night was raided. One of the dark days in our liberation war in Dhaka.

Obviously panicked set in our house. A lungi was given to the informer who had just escaped from the jaw of the death from an Army raid. People could hear Army trucks making there way in the narrow entrance of our road (goli). In the back of the house my aunts were helping Nana (Engineer Hafizul Alam) get over the wall with the informer pulling him from the other side of the wall.

The Alsatian was barking at his loudest and holding down the front gate literally with two front legs. That gave just enough time for nana to escape. Two Army officers came down asked the darwan to remove the dog or else would shoot the dog. The darwan reluctantly chained the dog and opened the gate. Soldiers started to secure the compound. Then there was the 'knock on the door'. "Darwaja kholo"!! (Open the door!!) My mother opened the door and asked what they wanted. The first question was who is in the house, then where is Habibul Alam (mama-uncle), then where is hafizul Alam (nana), and then where is the kitchen? Mama (uncle) had already joined the war long time ago. So a made up answer was given and she showed the kitchen which was in the back detached from the main house. The Officer had asked all the women and children to stay inside the house. My aunts saw the army had escorted a person blindfolded through the passage to the kitchen. They heard loud noises and knew exactly what went on. The entire kitchen floor was being uprooted. nana had built a storage area there after the war had begun. It was full of stashed arms and ammunitions. Our house was one of the so called biggest arm deput for the freedom fighters. That was a big blow on liberation war.

Usually anytime when there is something like this found, no one in the house is spared. They kill them all. However, the with grace of Almighty, the Army didn't do any harm to any of us. Now I am here to convey this story to you. I guess the Army was happy to get ammunitions. The Army had intelligence and came to know about other houses in dhaka. The two relatives who were in the house were picked up for questioning and then released the next day after some heavy beating.

Later my three aunts (the two present that day and their elder sister who already left for Agartala), my nana joined the liberation war. Well nana was already involved. My Uncle's (Habibul Alam - Bir protik - Author of the book Brave of Heart) head was 2 lakh rupee (dead or alive) then.

Every now and then we listen to the stories. Over the years, those stories became so vivid that some times I feel I saw them with my own eyes. I am proud to be a "mukti joddar shontan".