The Glory of 1971: Naval War At Barishal Kirtonkhola (Concluding Part)

While crossing the river I found those inspiring and fire like speech parallel with the realities. I was pondering over if the search light could detect me and if their speed boat got ready to track me and if I got caught red handed. In that case they would catch me and  the result would be what our leaders directed about at C-2-P camp, Plassy, India. There were no weapons with the naval commandos and this was the only difference between the naval  and land fighters who were fighting through routes and for this reason the naval fighters, I assume were known as the "Elite Force ".

In the pages of the faded memories there appeared the memories of those days when adoption unget ways I went to India ; staying at the transit camp ; my two comrades Nurul Huda and Yusuf Ali who went to Bihar for having training so the agony of our separation ;mango orchard on the bank of Vagirothi ; visiting to Plassy and Murshidabad, taking tough but disciplined training ; passing the unapproachable way to Soronkhola carriage touching the coast of the Sundarban and staying there at Major Ziars camp ; attacked at Parerhat by the opponents ; facing the Razakar (opponents) at the steamer like death ; the fallacy of the missing of the knife of the Indian Navy while staying at the camp of Omar ; being homed at the house of Abdur Rashid located at the eastern shore of the Kirtonkhola. The purposes of performing all these are to take part in the operations actively as to say to set up the limpet mine with my own hand underneath the ships.

I was somehow sure that the limpet mine is going to be exploded with the ship, my all suffocation is going to be successful. Recalling the memories I was swimming to eastern shore of the Kirtonkhola. As I looked back I saw a light glimmering. For my convenience there was supposed to limp a light at Naptarhat.  I did not complete swimming soon. Because I wanted to have the thrill of the explosion of the limpet mine  while swimming .Almost two third  of the river has been crossed, suddenly a cring -like sound reached my ear. The water of the river worked as the medium to reach the sound to my ear. I thought as if the spring was hitting the detonator. There would create fire by the friction between the spring and the detonator. It was supposed to assume that soon after having the fire on the safety fuse, the safety fuse would get melted and the plastic explosive in the mine was going to be exploded. That heavily moment for which such waiting, such excitement was working upon. For which I took the life risk several times and by the grace of the Almighty I was saved. I took the training which was known as "Suicide Squad "though the trainer warned us about its difficulties & disadvantages . My first mine got exploded while I was swimming and for the first time I got the taste of thrill. Beside the ship I saw the river water lipping up about 30 feet. I also discovered that the jumping water was glittering by the shore electric light. I got enchanted. That was the moment which can be said attractive, thrilling, enchanting, mesmeric, magical above all it cannot be described in words.

In every man's life there comes a moment which never can be forgotten. I think that was the best moment in my life ever. From the day when I started my journey to India and till today what I was expecting that was this day. Rabindra Nath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam or any linguist, poet, novelist could describe the moment through their writing and it might cover some pages of a novel. But I can assure that before my heart bit gets stopped or the agony of my soul before my death, in my memories if this moment appears that will be normal phenomenon.

I was not out of swimming. I was enjoying the explosion & swimming. Suddenly I got stuck into a net. Then it was about 3 a.m. The strong flowing of the water for the ebb, and a fisherman was fishing there with a Khuchin net (one kind of rope made tool to catch fish) by the shore of the river. If one sets up this net and walks against the current the fishes will be automatically get into the net. He was walking against the current to catch fish. The current was favorable and I was swimming backward. Normally I could not detect the fisherman and his net. Being scared to see me  unclear the fisherman  ran towards the shore. He thought that perhaps any big fish or wild water animal had been in his net. The fisherman was trembling in fear. I assured telling that, "Donot be afraid of, I am a freedom fighter.I again asked him how far Naptarhat was from there.

The fisherman replied, "There appears the light ".

Naptarhat was only 100 yards far from us. At that moment the second mine exploded. That means within less than two or three minutes of first explosion the second mine exploded.

Hardly had the explosion took place when the Pakistani Army and their accomplices staying on the western bank of the river started firing bullets like rain falls. For the reason of safety and to get protected from the bullets I advised the fisherman to lay down on the ground and so did I. It was about 5 minutes for the time they were firing intermittently.

After the firing got stopped I walked to Naptarhat on foot. The boys who were waiting for me got excited to see me. Now a days it is very often observed that for the sake of satellite if any football or cricket team wins or any player does a 100, the supporters celebrate the moments with the player who makes a hundred along with the captain. The youths waiting at Naptarhad did more than words can describe. Observing their exaltation and excitement I assumed if I could deliver all the happiness from the operation to them (And Finally I did that through my heart).

Visiting to Indian through hazardous ways, taking training maintaining hard discipline and hardship, returning after the battle finished through the unfriendly way and taking life risk to set up the mines in the ships and finally I forgot all the distress for that moment. One boy exaltedly said, "I saw the water lipping out the highest ".

How those youths can be evaluated? They were highly inspired by conscience of the liberation war. On the passage of time and based on the realities some are connected with the current politics. On the other hand some are neutral. The motifs and the principles of the political parties are different which is absolutely normal. At Naptarhat the youths may have different political views. At the eleventh hour of my life if accidentally I meet the people of Kornokathi and Kauwarchor of Barisal, would I be able to lag them behind in spite of knowing their various political notions, neither did they. If I could not have been able to be homed at Karnokhati and got helped by the juveniles it would not be possible to carry out the naval war there. I had made great trouble during my staying at Karnokathi at the house of Abdur Rashid and his family. During Ramadan they cooked for us and fed us  during day time also. Now and then we requested for tea and happily it was delivered to us. They never showed apathy through their behavior or talking. That is why it can certainly be said that they are also the parts of the naval war at Barisal.

I cleansed my whole body taking a dry towel from a youth. The underwear used for swimming was kept aside and wore the lungi and the shirt. Wearing dry clothes we walked towards the house of Rustam Sardar. Then I was feeling cold. On the way I met suddenly our leader Sayed Abul Bashar. He congratulated me for my success. I thanked him in return. I let him know about my first target. When I reached at the house of Rustam Sardar it was about 4:00 a.m. Our another naval commando Shah Alam also reached there. We were hospitalized by tea and biscuits. We also heard the experience of Shah Alam while taking tea.

It had been mentioned earlier that after 15th August's operation the opponents and the crews would be more alert. Alamo was given the operation of a food-loaded foreign ship that he would target. After having the swimming he found that the engine of ship was on working. As a result he failed to set up the mine to the ship. He repented as being  not coming out successful. People present there encouraged him not to yield and advised to be prepared for the next operation.  The ship that I exploded was an  oil tanker. The next day the river Kirtonkhola at Barisal and the 15 miles Jhalakhati were loaded with the sipped oil. At the time of exploding the mines, there was ebb-tide and as a result the oil easily moved forward to Jhalakhati. The people of Barisal and Jhalakhati area  was under panic for a few days .

 
Athar Uddin Talukder is a freedom
fighter (Naval Commando No. 0122).
He participated in heroic marine
operations during the Liberation War of 1971.