User:Md. Imteaj Hasan/Shaheed Lt. Commander Moazzem Hossain

Shaheed Lieutenant Commander Moazzem Hossain (8th September, 1932 - 26th March, 1971) is a noted freedom fighter and heroic martyr of Bangladesh.

The contribution of intellectuals to the Liberation War of Bangladesh is outstanding. During the War of Liberation, many of them suffered brutal killings of Pakistani forces.

Moazzem Hossain was one of the pioneers of the creation of Bangladesh. During his service in the Pakistan Navy, he was outraged by the unreasonable discrimination between the Bengalis and the non-Bengalis. On one occasion, he expressed his opinion in a systematic way to secure the right of the Bengali officers and soldiers. As a result, he became alienated from Pakistan, especially the Punjabis. Later, he was arrested in connection with the Agartala conspiracy case in 1967. He was the 2nd accused in the Agartala conspiracy case. In 1969, The government was forced to release Bangabandhu and all the accused along with him under pressure from the mass movement. At that time Moazzem was a Lt. commander. He was relieved of his job. In 1970 Lahore Implementation Committee was formed under the leadership of Moazzem Hossain. .

The brave Bengali officer was brutally assassinated by the brutal Pakistani army at his 36, Elephant Road home on 26th March, 1971.

He was awarded "The Independence Award" in 2012 for his unique contribution to the sacrifice of independence in the war of independence of Bangladesh.

Early Life
He was born on 18th September, 1932 in village Dumuritla in Pirojpur district. His father, Mofazzel Ali, was a government official and mother's name was Latifunnesa Begum. His nickname was Lal Mia.

Education
Moazzem Hossain passed matriculation from Kachua High School in 1947. Then He attended ISC class at Bagerhat College. But his education life was disrupted due to his involvement in the progressive student movement. Later he studied in the ISC Class at Barisal Brajmohan College and successfully passed the ISC Exam.

Career
After passing the ISC from Barisal BM (Brajmohan) College, Moazzem Hossain joined the Pakistan Navy as a commissioned officer in 1950. He was sent to the Naval Engineering Degree in England in 1951 in order to demonstrate his craft and skills. In the same year he also received training in the British Royal Navy. He successfully passed all the exams of the Royal Naval Engineering College. After training, he received commission in the Pakistan Navy. Subsequently, he completed Marine Specialist Course from Manavin Royal College in 1959 and took first place. Moazzem Hossain received his undergraduate degree in Marine Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from the British Institute of Mechanical Engineering and British Institute of Marine Engineering in 1958-1960 as the designated officer of the Pakistan Navy. He was appointed Chief Engineer at Naval Base Chittagong in 1966 and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1967. During this time he joined the Barisal Branch of the East Pakistan Inland Water Transport Organization at Deputation.

contribution to the Agartala conspiracy
Since the establishment of the state of Pakistan in 1947, the Bengali people of East Pakistan have been ignored and neglected in various ways. As a result, dissatisfaction and resentment against the Pakistani rulers among the various classes of people including the military people in East Pakistan continued to increase. The demand for autonomy through the six-point program of the Awami League chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1966 gained huge public support in East Pakistan. Due to the prevalence of discrimination in the military, some Bengali officers and soldiers of the armed forces including Lieutenant Commander Moazzem Hossain continued to organize secretly. Realizing that it was never possible to protect the interests of the Bengalis from West Pakistan, they decided to liberate East Pakistan through armed insurgency and continued to work very secretly for this purpose. But the conspiracy came to light because of the intelligence activities of the Pakistani government. The arrest of the government began. The Ayub government detectives arrested about a thousand Bengalis all over Pakistan. On 6th January, 1968 the Central Home ministry announced a press release that the government had unveiled a conspiracy against Pakistan's national interest on December, 1967. The announcement revealed the arrest of 8 people, including 2 CSP officers. It is alleged that the arrested men were engaged in an attempt to alienate East Pakistan from the center through an armed coup with Indian assistance. In another declaration on 18th January, 1968 the Home ministry accused Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of the conspiracy.

On 9th December, 1967 a team of military intelligence arrested Moazzem Hossain under the Pakistan Defense Act. The government amended the Criminal Law in 1968 and formed a special tribunal, alleging conspiracy by the name of the state versus Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and others. Lieutenant Commander Moazzem Hossain was the 2nd accused of 35 in the Agartala conspiracy case. The charges against him ware to start an independent East Pakistan from the beginning of the year, to set up an armed organization with the Bengalis in the Navy, to include in the planning of the Bengali officers of the army and air force, organizing secret meeting with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's political leaders and various civil service Bengali officers to make the operation successful, collecting funds for the organization secretly etc. Moazzem Hossain was freed when the government overturned the Agartala conspiracy case on February 22, 1969 under pressure from a mass mobilization. He then joined the service again and retired on 18th March, 1970.

Political Life
After retiring from service on 18th March 1970, Moazzem Hossain involved directly in political activities. On 24th March 1970, he announced the movement for the establishment of an independent sovereign state based on the historic Lahore proposal. For this purpose, he formed a committee to implement the Lahore proposal on 28th March. To this end, he wrote some booklets like implementation of Lahore proposal, one point etc. On 21st February 1971, Moazzem Hossain converted the Lahore implementation committee into a full-fledged political party as a nationalist party. During the Non-cooperation Movement of March, in a meeting with Bangabondhu sheikh Mujibur Rahman He tried to convince Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to start an armed rebellion and to get independence through armed movement instead of any kind of compromise. He ordered the armed training of his political staff and for this purpose he visited Faridpur, Jessore, Kushtia from 16th March to 22nd March.

Death and Legacy
The most brutal killings began in the mid-night of 25th March 1971, when the Pakistan Army launched an Operation Searchlight. One of the targets of the Pakistan army was Lieutenant Commander Moazzem Hossain. On the morning of 26th March 1971, a brutal Pakistani army troop led by Colonel Taj attacked his 36, Elephant Road residence and brutally killed this Bengali war veteran officer. Firstly he was shot and later charged with a bayonet. "I want Bangladesh independent," he said firmly before being shot. His body was taken away by Pakistani troops. It is heard that the Governor of East Pakistan Tikka Khan himself wanted to confirm that he had been killed after seeing his body.

The incident is known from his wife Kohinoor Hossain's statement. She said, “From the afternoon of 25th March, my husband was a fickle. About nine-thirty at night, one of my cousins ​​called him. He talked to him and put on his shirt and walked out. Our house was three storeys. We lived on the floor. I saw many people standing in the street. It will be twelve o'clock in the night, when there is a firing noise. Then the men went in and out of the Maine road. At that time, he asked me to take the kids to the floor. I take the kids to the bucket. My husband stayed downstairs.

‘At one o'clock in the night he came to the floor. It's been blacked out before. The sound of tanks and ammunition has been heard since midnight. It was all night. Heavy firing and fire all around. When it was dark, he went to the drawing room and closed his eyes on the sofa and sat down. He was very hungry. People at work were making breakfast. At that time I heard the sound of many jeep cars and boots looking out the window and saw many army weapons standing in front of our house. My husband lost sleep when he heard the noise. I told him that the army had surrounded our house. He walked out of the drawing room to the other side. But there is no escape. The army is surrounded.

'He was hiding somewhere. And the Army was looking for him. When they did not find him, they shouted, "Where is Mrs. Moazzem?" He heard it and probably thought the army might torture me. Then he went out and said, "I am Commander Moazzem." The Army did not believe his words at first. They have told him several times in Urdu, "Say Pakistan Zindabad". He said, "No, I will not say Pakistan Zindabad. My point is, Bangladesh wants independence. ” Then they shot. Despite being shot, Bangladesh wants independent. I did not see it with my own eyes. Later I heard from the eyewitness.

'Meanwhile, after the incident, I removed the curtain window and saw my husband lying in a bullet. At this time some army came. They are chasing him. They held his has two legs and hands and the head is hanging. The whole body is full of blood. Seeing this scene, I shouted.

'I didn't get my husband's dead body. Later I heard that the Pakistani Army had taken my husband's body to show Tikka Khan at the then Governor's House, present Bangabhaban. Then I don't know what his body did. "

Awards and honors
1. The heroic martyr, who sacrificed his life in the war of independence of Bangladesh, was awarded the "Independence Award" in 2012 for his outstanding contribution, what is known as the "highest civilian award" of Bangladesh.

2. In his honor, one of the largest naval bases in the Bangladesh Navy at Kaptai in Rangamati Hill district was named BNS Shaheed Moazzem. Which is spreading fame for training the forces and establishing regional peace.

3. The postal department of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh issued a commemorative stamp in the name of Lieutenant Commander Moazzem Hossain on Martyred Intellectual Day on 14th December 1993.

4. Dhaka City Corporation has named a road in Dhaka named Shaheed Lieutenant Commander Moazzem Hossain Road.

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Reference
1. Lt. Commander Moazzem Hossain, Banglapedia

2. Agartala Conspiracy Case, Banglapedia

3. Moazzem Hossain, Prothom-alo (March 28, 27)

4.Liberation War of Bangladesh 1971, Details of Women, Eyewitnesses and Participants, Volume III, Liberation War Research Center, Publication 20). (Bangladesher Muktijuddho 1971, Nari, Prottokhodorshi o ongshogrohonkarir biboron, Tritio khondo, muktijuddho, gobeshona kendro, prokash 2007)