পলাশী ব্যারাক ও সচিবালয়ে সংঘটিত ঘটনা সম্পর্কে পুলিশের বিবরণ
Report on the Plassy Barrack and Secretariat Incident on 12.12.1947
On 12.12.47 Urdu speaking Muslims of Chowk area organised a meeting to be held on 13.12.47 at 4 p.m. in front of the Chowk Mosque to discuss the subject of Urdu to be made the State Language for Eastern Pakistan. To give publicity to this proposed meeting hand bills were printed and a lorry fitted with loud speaker was sent out for announcing the date and time of the meeting and also shouting slogans in support of Urdu language. This lorry started from Chowk at about 10 O’clock and passed through different areas of the town. About mid-day the lorry reached the University Buildings where the men who were in the bus. With a view to making propaganda in the connection, started shouting slogans in support of Urdu language. Some University students intervened and asked these people not to shout slogans in support of Urdu language and extorted to support Bengali language. This led to the dispute between them and it is reported that one of the University students. was roughly handled by the people of the bus. The propaganda bus then proceeded towards the Plassy Barrack and as it was passing along the road in front of the eastern gate of the Plassy Barrack shouting in support of the Urdu Language. Some inmates of the Plassy Barrack mostly students came out and stationed the bus and started arguing with the occupants of the bus that they should support Bengali and not Urdu to be the state language. This created a confusion and some of the Plassy Barrack people wanted to drag down some of the occupants of the bus and there was sort of howling and pulling in which some of the occupants of the bus were roughly handled by the Plassy Barrack people. The bus with its occupants then left the place and it is reported that after about half an hour the same bus carrying a large number of people followed by another big crowd came in front of the Plassy Barrack and all attacked the inmate of the Barrack from the eastern side. It is reported that free inter-change of brick-bating and other continued for sometime when the attacking party from outside retreated. Information about this mcident did not reach the Police before 13.30 hrs. When a message was received at the Lalbag, reporting about some troubles in Plassy Barrack. A Police force in a lorry in-charge of an inspector and a sergeant were sent there at once but on arrival at the sport the police party did not see any fight but found a crowd of Plassy Barrack inmates in a very excited mood on the road in front of the castern gate of the Barrack. A group of students of the Engineering College was also found standing along side the Railway Lines in front of the Engineering College Hostel. The Engineering College Hostel boys alleged that their hostel also attacked by a crowd coming from the town side who caused some damage to the dining hall that some crockeries and other utensils were taken away by the attackers that some of the inmates of the Engineering hostel including the wife of the Hostel Superintendent received minor injuries due to the brickbats thrown by the miscreants. It will also alleged by the inmates of the Plassy Barrack that the invaders took away some of their articles from their Barrack as well.
I received information about the trouble at about 2 p.m. from S.P. I rushed to the scene forthwith and on reaching there noticed an excited crowed, all of whom were inmate of the Plassy Barrack, in front of the eastern gate of the Barrack. I also found a crowed of Engineering students of the Railway Lines in front of their hostel and persuaded the crowd in front of the Plassy Barrack as well in front of the Engineering College Hostel to go inside their respective places. I also removed crowds which were to the south side of the maidan. On enquiry from inmates of the Plassy Barrack and the Engineering Hostel and from Medical College it was found that about 13 people received minor injuries except a Darwan of Plassy Barrack who had a broken nose. 2 students of Engineering College also received minor injuries..
The student and clerks of the Plassy Barrack held a meeting immediately after this incident inside the compound of the Plassy Barrack and started to proceed to the Secretariat Buildings in procession to protest against the attack on the Plassy Barrack by the town goondas. The procession started at about 4 p. m. from the Plassy Barrack and proceeded towards Secretariat Buildings. The students from the Salimullah Muslim Hall, Engineering Hostel, University Buildings and other places also joined the procession. Between 4.30 to 5 p. m. the procession reached in front of the Hon’ble Minister Mr. A. Hamid and the Hon’ble Minister was forced to come down and give assurance to the demonstration that he would resign if Bengali was not made the State Language of Eastern Pakistan. With this assurances the demonstrators proceeded towards the Secretariat Buildings with the Hon’ble Minister in their midst. The processionists by now were becoming rather disorderly. The gates of the Secretariat Buildings were, in the meantime, closed to prevent the demonstrators getting in to create troubles inside the Secretariat compound. The processionists reached the northern central gate of the Secretariat Buildings and began to push against the door. There was shouting of slogans and shower of abuses against the present Ministry and the Police force. The demonstrators finding that the gate could not be forced open they all climbed over the compound of the Secretariat Buildings and got in. They surrounded the Hon’ble Minister Mr. Afzal and dragged him by force one place to another in the compound in the Varenda of the Secretariat Buildings, it appeared that the demonstrators were determined to roughly handle the Minister and the Police intervention was absolutely necessary but as the Hon’ble Minister did not like Police intervention, Police party simply had to stand by as minute spectators. The demonstrators then started throwing brick-bats and other missiles on the Police officers and men who where inside the Secretariat compound. The brick hits some of the officers and men and caused minor injuries. The demonstrators also assaulted the darwan of the Secretariat Building and caused injuries on his person. By these acts the processionists committed offences of rioting and wrongfully restraint to Ministers and assaulting public servants in the execution of their duties as they should therefore be prosecuted for these offenses committed within the precinct of the Secretariat Buildings
I may mention here that the brick-bats thrown by the demonstrators inside the Secretariat compound that evening hit me twice. Mr. L. Rahman, Addi. S. P. (Crime) was also hit on the back of his head as well as on his hand. The latter caused bleeding injury. Md. Sabir Khan my guard constable was hit on the back by a brick-bat Some other constables were also hit but were not hurt. Mr. MacPherson, Dy. H. P. Wireless just escaped from being hit on his face by a brick aimed at him. A case has been started against the people responsible for the attack on the Plassy Barrack and the Engineering College Hostel, at Lalbagh P. S. and the investigation is proceeding.
Sd. A. Ghaffer
Addl. Superintendent of Police
Dacca City
Government of East Bengal, B-Proceedings, Bangladesh National Archives, Honie Departnient, Police Branch, Bundle-75m May, 1949, Proceedings No. 19-20
সূত্র: ভাষা আন্দোলনের দলিলপত্র – রতন লাল চক্রবর্ত্তী সম্পাদিত