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The Fiery March of 1971: A Day of Resistance and Sacrifice

On March 5, 1971, the flames of resistance burned brighter as the people of Bangladesh stood against oppression. On this day, four workers were martyred, and 25 others were injured when armed forces opened fire during a strike in the Tongi industrial area. The entire region erupted in outrage, with protesters setting fire to the wooden bridge near the concrete one and blocking roads with fallen trees.

News of the workers’ deaths spread swiftly to Dhaka, sparking mass unrest. The Chhatra League organized a massive procession, carrying the bodies of the slain workers through the capital. Meanwhile, Chittagong witnessed protests, public gatherings, and a complete shutdown in mourning for the martyrs.

By evening, the government announced that the army had been withdrawn to the barracks in Dhaka. Following Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s directives, banks remained open despite the strike. Special prayers were held in mosques across the country for the souls of the martyrs. Protest meetings and rallies took place nationwide, with writers and artists joining in from the Pakistan Writers’ Association office on Topkhana Road to the Central Shaheed Minar, where they took an oath for the liberation of Bengal under the leadership of Dr. Ahmad Sharif.

On the political front, Pakistan People’s Party chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto held over five hours of discussions with President Yahya Khan at the Rawalpindi Presidential Palace. Retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan arrived in Dhaka from Karachi and met with Bangabandhu at his Dhanmondi residence that night.

Later in the evening, Bangabandhu denounced foreign radio reports suggesting he was willing to share power with Bhutto, calling them ‘ill-intended’ and ‘a fabrication.’ Awami League General Secretary Tajuddin Ahmad issued a statement condemning the military’s indiscriminate killing of innocent, unarmed civilians, including workers, farmers, and students. He declared such atrocities as crimes against humanity.

Milon Syed