While I was going to retire, I got another telephone call from circuit house where army HQ was located asking me to reach there. On arrival at the circuit house I found Sector Comd, security Officer Maj Raja Siddique and Maj Durrani who received me with a similing face and asked me to write down in Bengali an order of curfew to be imposed in the Dist. I obeyed and I was detalied to announce it in my languae. During announcement I was escorted by the said officers in four jeeps and a guard of II Regt behind me. Announcement started at 03-00 hrs and ended at 09-30 hrs. After it, I was ordered to take rest ofr the day.
On 26.3.71 throughout the day Army and EPR patrolled the town and its suberbs and few standing pickets were posted for 24 hrs. Road blocks and obstacles were put up by the public for which army opened fire and killed several pers. At night, Army and EPR non-Bengalee officers arrested public leaders including Guru Das Talukder, Baroda Chakravarty and others and some Hindu merchants including Sogunlal Lahia and put them into jail.
On 27.3.71 I was called by 8 Wing Comd and Adjt and was ordered to accompany the publicity officer to help him during announcement in the town. I carried out the order and returned from announcement at about 11-30 hrs when sector Comd oreered me to close all the available pers in the lines as he intended to address them. The sector Comd addressed the force repeating the speech of president Yahya Khan accusing Awami League and Banga Bandhu.
After this, QM Capt. Nazir Ahmed and sub Ataul Haque with one platoon were sent to Thakurgaon. I felt the absence of Sub Ataul IIaque very much as he was one of my ringt hand in the liberation struggle of Dinajpur. N/Sub Lutfar Rahman who was picket comd at Balubari was threatened by sector Comd unnecessarily on the Plea that he had instigated public to attack our 21/C's residence. This was a pretext to remove him and to put a non-Bengali comd in his place. At about mid day some Behari came to Sector Comd and reported that Bengalees were assembling near Kanchan River and in other outlying areas of town to attack the Beharis. I went with patrol party and on return reported to the Sector Comd that this was false. Throughout the day Army and EPR patrolled the town. A 12 year old was killed by the army in Balubari area while he was crossing the road.
On 27.3.71 in the evening the Sector Comd tried to go to Rangpur Brigade to bring some more army at the instigation of his non-Bengalee officers but he failed to go due to heavy road block. On return, he sent patrol party who killed about 14 Santals who were residing near that road block.
On 27/28th night pak army called some of their enlisted mebn from their housed including brother of Habib, Chairman of Chehelgazi Union Council and killed them. Dead bodies lay scattered in three places i.e. in Rajbari jungle, four bodies were near Fulhat Bridge and about 8/9 bodies were thrown in the dithch of WAPDA band. During daytime people became very much panicky seeing these dead bodies.
