The overall situation in the Rajshahi city became volatile amid the spontaneous protest of general masses since March 1 in 1971 when the then Pakistani rulers had postponed the scheduled March 3 session of National Assembly.
Suspension of the scheduled parliament session by the Pakistani junta, as part of a heinous conspiracy, instantly turned the Rajshahi people revolutionary since the beginning of March in 1971 with impulsive protest of the common people.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman rejected cancellation of the scheduled parliament session and called for strike on March 2 in Dhaka and on March 3 throughout the country.
Dr Tasiqul Islam Raja, retired principal of Shahmukhdum Degree College, said thousands of people thronged the city streets spontaneously under the banner of Sarbadaliyo Chhatra Sangram Parishad and Sramik Sangram Parishad.
He said the people demonstrated their protest and demanded immediate handover of power to Awami League, the party which secured a great majority in the 1970 general election.
Public and private offices and business activities came into a total halt, academic activities of the educational institutions were suspended while production in mills and factories throughout the city remained stopped for an indefinite period.
It was part of a spontaneous protest that turned the city into a place of fierce movement and demonstrations. Total general strike was observed in the city paralyzing the civic lives and business activities.
To gear up the movement, a cross-section of freedom-loving people staged processions stretching eight-kilometer from Rajshahi University to Rajshahi court breaking curfew on March 3 in line with the central programmes.
The pro-liberation Bangalees paraded the city streets here chanting slogans 'Jago Jago Bangali Jago,' 'Beer Bangalee astro Dhoro, Bangladesh Swadheen koro.'
At around 11.30 am on the same day, the then occupation forces from the adjacent Telephone Exchange Building opened fire on procession in Ranibazar area killing one person and injuring many others.
The brutal attack and killing of innocent people had fuelled fiery minds of the protesting people and the movement got new momentum with more vigorous protest at most of the parts of the city and districts.
During the liberation war of 1971, Rajshahi witnessed both atrocities by the Pakistan army and heroic struggles by the freedom fighters.
The largest mass grave in Bangladesh is located in Rajshahi University, which was used as a Pakistani army camp during the liberation war of 1971, recalled by valiant freedom fighter Dr Abdul Mannan.
On the other hand, one of the biggest great battles of the liberation war took place near Rajshahi. Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir, who died in the battle, was awarded the highest honour (Bir Sreshtho) by the Bangladesh government after the war.
Rajshahi University contributed a lot to the war of independence from the massive movement in 1969 to protest the illegal and unlawful tyranny of the Pakistani government.
On February 18, 1969, the students of the university brought out a protest procession where the police force took preparations to shoot at the procession.
Dr. Shamsuzzoha, the then proctor and professor of the department of chemistry, laid down his life to save the students from the bullet fired by the then Pakistani law-enforcing agency.
During the liberation war, Rajshahi University teachers, officials and students played an imperative role to free the country from the Pakistani forces.
The Shabash Bangladesh Chhattar, martyr archives, shaheed smrity sangrahasala, mass grave yard and tombs of Dr. Shamsuzzoha, Sukhrojjon Samaddar, Mir Abdul Qaiyum and Shaheed Habibur Rahman and alive freedom fighters here bears the glorious history of independence.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)