Armoury with ties to 1930 anti-British raid, 1971 war to become museum

Chattogram police have taken steps to turn the armoury raided nearly a century ago by the legendary anti-British revolutionary Surya Sen, fondly known as Masterda, into a museum.

Police officials say the initiative aims to pass knowledge about the armoury, which also witnessed historic moments during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, to the next generation.

The new Bangladesh Police Liberation War Museum is being built by preserving the armoury and a barracks of the former British police at the Dampara Lines in Chattogram.

The museum is expected to open on Dec 16, Victory Day, this year and will feature exhibits from the youth revolution of 1930 and the 1971 war, according to Chattogram Police Commissioner Saleh Mohammad Tanvir.

“Although Surya Sen is a man of Chattogram, people in Kolkata know more about him. We want our new generation to learn that we have a history and a heritage we should be proud of,” he said.

The old armoury is being renovated without making any changes to it. The former British barracks will also be a part of the museum.

A replica of the gallows where Masterda was hanged will be made at the museum. It will also showcase photos of the revolutionaries.

As many as 81 police personnel who sacrificed their lives fighting the Pakistani occupation force in Chattogram in 1971 will also be commemorated.

“Their names will be inscribed on the wall of the museum. We also plan to erect a monument,” Police Commissioner Saleh said.

The museum will feature a Bangabandhu Corner, highlighting the portion of his political life in Chattogram. It will contain memorabilia, information and photos of the Liberation War.

A video gallery on the Liberation War is also on the cards.

Authorities plan to invite students for regular visits, said the police commissioner.

Revolutionary Purnendu Dastidar gave a detailed account of the armoury attack of Apr 18, 1930 in his book ‘Swadhinata Sangrame Chattogram’.

“The police reserve barracks in Dampara turned into the headquarters of Surya Sen. Ganesh Ghosh, Ananta Singha and other leaders, who started to train revolutionaries to fire rifles. Before that, the revolutionaries didn’t have any rifles, but had only learned to use low-quality revolvers, pistols and other guns. They threw away the old cartridges, revolvers, and pistols, and instead took up the Webley and Colt revolvers collected from the Pahartali Armoury and its reserve forces,” he wrote.

The ‘Indian Republican Army’ led by Masterda attacked the Damapara armoury, the Pahartali railway armoury, the Nandankan T&T office and other locations simultaneously.

The revolutionaries took up positions at Jalalabad Hill after a successful raid on the arms and ammunition. Chattogram remained free until Apr 22. It was the first time in the 200 years of British rule that the Bengali people achieved a victory.

In a frontal assault on Apr 22, at least 12 revolutionaries were martyred while 82 British soldiers were killed.

The British government declared a bounty of Tk 10,000 for Masterda.

Surya Sen and Tarokeshwer Dastidar were later hanged on Jan 12, 1934.

A total of 54 revolutionaries lost their lives during the raid and its aftermath. But there is still no museum to recognise their achievements.

The same police lines witnessed another massacre 41 years later, when Pakistani forces attacked on Mar 28, 1971.

The martyrs in the fight in Chattogram included Superintendent of Police M Shamsul Haque, Anti-Corruption Department Deputy Director Nazmul Haque, Dampara Police Lines Range Inspector Akram Hossain and Kotwali Police Station OC Abdul Khaleque, according to history analyst Muhammad Shamsul Haque, who wrote the book “Itihaser Khosra”.

“These officers’ valiant role in the fight against the Pakistani forces at Dampara Police Lines is a chapter of pride in the history of the Liberation War in Chattogram.”