Taufiqur Rahman Taher Sunamganj Special Correspondent:

​On this day (December 7) in 1971, at the final stage of the victory of the Great Liberation War, Dirai and Shalla upazilas of Sunamganj district were completely free from the clutches of the Pakistani occupying forces and their local allies. With the strong leadership and unparalleled courage of the brave freedom fighters, the red-green flag of independent Bangladesh flew in these two towns of the Haor region. The people of Dirai-Shalla achieved the desired independence, carrying the memories of a long nine-month bloody struggle, countless martyrs, and horrific barbarity like the Peru genocide.

​Since the beginning of the Liberation War in March, the people of the Haor region have been fighting for independence. Local freedom fighters and freedom-loving people have resisted the oppression and brutality of the Pakistani army. Guerrilla and frontal battles were fought between the freedom fighters and the invading forces in various places in Dirai and Shalla. The freedom fighters attacked the Pak forces using the inaccessible roads of the Haor-Baor.

​During this long struggle, the people of Dirai-Shalla had to suffer the terrible barbarity of the Pakistani invading forces. One of them was the Perua massacre. The Pakistani invaders and their allies, the Razakars-Al Badr forces, carried out brutal massacres in Perua village (near the then Perua Bazar) of Dirai upazila. In this brutal massacre, countless innocent people were martyred, which is marked as a black chapter in the history of the liberation war of this region.

​The campaign of the freedom fighters intensified from the beginning of December. In Dirai Upazila, the invading forces were forced to retreat due to a coordinated attack by the allied forces and local freedom fighters, and when the Pak soldiers fled from Dirai on the morning of December 7, the upazila was completely free from enemies. On the same day, when the Pak soldiers left their positions in Shalla, the brave freedom fighters hoisted the flag of independent Bengal on the soil of Shalla in triumph. As there was joy in being free from the enemy, there was also deep pain in losing relatives. The sacrifice of the brave martyrs is the basis of today's liberation.

Every year, the Dirai and Shalla Upazila administration, the Freedom Fighters' Association and various socio-cultural organizations organize various programs to commemorate this day with respect. In particular, humble tributes are paid to the brave freedom fighters who were martyred in the Peru massacre and the best sons of the nation.

However, this year, the Shalla Upazila administration has not taken any formal steps to pay tribute to the martyrs on the occasion of this freedom day, which has led to strong anger and sadness among local freedom fighters, political parties, leaders of socio-cultural organizations and the public.

When asked about this, Shalla Upazila Executive Officer Piyas Chandra Das said, "I was sitting in the Muktijoddha Sangsad with some freedom fighters including the brave freedom fighter Balram Das, and it is on their advice that I am hoisting the flag at the Muktijoddha Bhaban."

On the other hand, the joint convener of the Muktijoddha Sangsad, Balram Das, refused to comment on the reason for not paying tribute to the martyred brave freedom fighters.

​Convenor of the Freedom Fighters' Association, veteran freedom fighter Nikhil Das, expressed his anger and said, "Today is a day to remember this day with respect. But I am very saddened that the upazila administration has not paid tribute to the martyrs. I am the convener of the Freedom Fighters' Association, if anything is done by the administration, I am supposed to be informed, but we do not know anything. Every year on this Freedom Day, we have been offering wreaths and prayers at the Shaheed Minar for the peace of the martyrs' souls. I do not know why this happened this year."

​A son of a heroic freedom fighter, who did not want to be named, strongly protested the incident and said, "Freedom fighters who cannot respect their fellow martyred brothers, how can they respect this country? They do not deserve to be real freedom fighters, let all the evidence of their liberation war be verified and examined."

For the people of Dirai-Shalla, this Liberation Day is not just a date, it is a shining symbol of courage, sacrifice and ultimate victory. The conscious people of the area find the silence of the upazila administration in paying tribute to the martyrs on such a historic day disappointing.