108th birth anniversary of Pritilata Waddedar observed

The 108th birth anniversary of Bangalee revolutionary nationalist Pritilata Waddedar was observed today in a befitting manner.

To mark the day, Bangla daily Bhorer Kagoj organized a seminar at Jatiya Press Club VIP lounge.

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni addressed the seminar as the chief guest with Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Dutta in the chair.

Journalist and cultural personality Kamal Lohani addressed the function as the chief discussant while women rights activist freedom fighter Shirin Akhter, physician freedom fighter Dr Makhduma Nargis and psychiatrist and writer Anwara Syed Haq, also addressed it.

Dhaka University Mass Communication and Journalism Department Chairperson Professor Kaberi Gayen delivered a memorial lecture on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the education minister said Pritilata had taught the Bangalee nation how to fight for realizing the rights of the people.

Paying rich tributes to Pritilata, Dipu urged the new generation to follow the life and works of Pritilata to make their marks in the country.

Former president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Lucky Akhter and tourist Nazmun Nahar addressed the seminar on “Pritilata in the eye of youths”. Poet Ruby Rahman and Jhorna Rahman recited a poem dedicating to Pritilata.

Pritilata was born in a middle-class Vaidya-Brahmin family on May 5, 1911 in Dhalghat village in Patiya upazila of Chittagong.

She was nicknamed Rani. Waddedar was a title conferred on an ancestor of the family who originally had the surname Dasgupta.

In the 1930s, Pritilata decided to join the Indian independence movement. Surya Sen had heard about her and wanted her to join their revolutionary group.

On 13 June 1932, Pritilata met Surya Sen and Nirmal Sen in their Dhalghat camp. A contemporary revolutionary, Binod Bihari Chowdhury, objected that they did not allow women to join their group.

However, Pritalata was allowed to join the group because the revolutionaries reasoned that women transporting weapons would not attract as much suspicion as men do.

Along with the revolutionary group of Surya Sen, Pritilata took part in many raids like attacks on the Telephone and Telegraph offices and the capture of the reserve police line.

In 1932, Surya Sen planned to attack the Pahartali European Club which had a signboard that read “Dogs and Indians not allowed”.

In Pahartali European Club attack in 1932, Surya Sen decided to appoint a woman leader for this mission. Kalpana Datta was arrested seven days before the event. Because of this, Pritilata was assigned the leadership of the attack. Pritilata went to Kotowali Sea Side for arms training and made the plan of their attack there. On the day of the attack, Pritilata dressed herself as a Punjabi male. Her associates Kalishankar Dey, Bireshwar Roy, Prafulla Das, Shanti Chakraborty wore dhoti and shirt. Mahendra Chowdhury, Sushil Dey and Panna Sen wore lungi and shirt.

They reached the club at around 10:45 PM and launched their attack. There were around 40 people inside the club then. The revolutionaries divided themselves into three separate groups for the attack.

In the club, a few police officers who had revolvers started shooting. Pritilata incurred a single bullet wound. According to the police report, in this attack, one woman with a surname of Sullivan died and four men and seven women were injured.

An injured Pritilata was trapped by the British police. She swallowed cyanide to avoid getting arrested.

The next day, the police found her body and identified her.