War of liberation in Sherpur district is a tragic tale, which is necessary for the future generation of the country to restore the spirits of liberation. At least 30/40 battles occurred in five upazilas of the district in the nine months during the independence war in 1971, said District Administration Office sources (2008), adding that a total of 84 freedom fighters and intellectuals were martyred, thousands of innocent people were brutally killed and severely injured, young girls were massively raped and houses were completely destroyed in those battles.
The most important mass killing tragic spots (massacres) are Noyani Bazar Jomidar Bazar (at present DC office, Judge Court and SP Office), Jhinaigati Ahamed Nagar High School, Koyaroad, Maligikanda High School, Naksi, Tayakocha, Shreebordi Upazila Parishad, Nonni High School, Baromari Forest Office, Noyabil, Jograrchar High School, Kamarerchar, Sorjordi village, Nalitabari Upazila Parishad, Nakla High School, Bogai River, Panihata Mission, Mayakasi, Tonnor, Sohagpur, Kalakoma and Gopalpur forest Bit Office, Bogadopy bridge, Katakhali bridge, Seri bridge and many others, all of which are considered ‘mass killing spots’ where thousands of  people were buried dead or alive during the liberation war in 1971, according to the District DC Office sources. Besides, the residence of Sorendro Mohon Shaha was used as a torturing cell at the Tinani Bazar area in the district town, said Freedom fighter Unit Commander Md. Kholilur Rahman.
Geographically, Sherpur is a frontier district standing on the valley of the Garo Hills bordering the Maghalaya province of India and on the eastern bank of the old Brahmaputra. Different rivers and canals, coming from India flow over the district which was included under the 11th sector of the country during the liberation war. As a result, the Garo Hills became safer places for the people due to good river communication between Sherpur and Indian. Apart from this, the frontier villages are a few kilometers away from the district town. Thousands of innocent people were arrested, kept standing in several rows and brutally killed them in those villages by the help of local corrupt collaborators, said locals, adding that teenage girls and women were caught away from different remote villages for entertainment of the Pak forces. They were massively raped, killed and then thrown into the current of the rivers or into the holes of the hills. Separate bloody heads, hands, legs and different parts of human body became food of wild animals. Green trees and river water got reddened with their blood.
On 26 April 1971, Pak Army Forces occupied most of the important places in the district and established a lot of camps where the innocent civil people were brutally killed and buried thereby.  
On 1 May 1971 early in the morning, Pak forces captured Jogodpur, a frontier village of the Jhinaigati upazila, about 14 km away from the district town. A total of 45 brave sons were brutally killed, at least 50 people were severely injured and about 200 houses were set on fire at the village. Till now, no memorial was built in the village for the martyred brave sons.
On 25 May 1971, hundreds of people including 9 BSF members were killed and buried at the frontier Nakowgow village close to the Dalo BSF camp under Nalitabari upazila of the district. Most of the bodies were seen floating on the water of the Bogi River. About 50 bodies, among dead, were recovered from the river and buried near a mosque at the West Garo Hills.
On 6 July 1971 early in the morning, Pak forces opened a fire upon a total 150 people standing in a row at the Operation Katakhali Bridge under Sadar upazila. At least 5 villagers were killed and at least 11 people were severely injured in the spot.
On 25 July 1971 in the early morning, with the help of local Rajakar and Al-Badar, the Pak forces killed a total of 187 innocent people and children keeping in the lines at the Sohagpur village (Bidhaba Palli) under Nalitabari upazila, said freedom fighter Abdul Haque and Jalal Uddin. They were killed while working in their paddy fields by thinking that they were real freedom fighters, not farmers. In a plot of mass killing, wives and mothers of this village became widows and orphans. From time immemorial, this village is called ‘Bidhaba Palli’ where every woman is widow because they lost their husbands for bringing the independence of the country. Most of them have left their homes for livelihood. Some are day laborers and some are rickshaw pullers. Tragic story of the war widows has become a heart touching example in our national life.
On 3 August 1971, Pak forces occupied the Naksi BOP Camp, about 8 km away from Jhinaigati upazila by bringing three trucks loaded with ammunitions. Local collaborators like Mohammad Ali Moulana were told to appear with at least 200 people in the camp to carry the boxes of ammunitions and heavy weapons.
On 5 August 1971, another blood battle occurred between Pak forces and freedom fighters at the frontier Tonnor village under Nalitabari upazila. Hundreds of innocent people including 7 freedom fighters were killed in the village. Shamsuddin and Noor Jahan of Tarani village are the silent evidence of this spot. They said that at least 100 homes were set on fire by the Pak Army Forces. They broke a wooden bridge over the Bogai River at the Northern Panihata Mission, a safer place for the people during liberation war. Hossain Ali, his sons Abul Master, Uncle Sofor Uddin are the inhabitants of Tarani village and took shelter there and became disabled in war and died four or five years ago. Most of people were found to take shelters on the shores of Bogai River to the Western side of Panihata Mission. One day suddenly the Pak caught two brothers, Goto Sheikh and Abdul Hasem of Mayakasi village while reaping harvest in the paddy field near the forest Bit office. The Pak told two brothers to dig a hole where they were buried alive after digging, said Romis Uddin, son of Goto Sheikh. On the bank of Bogai River near border, another pathetic tragedy happened when the Pak fired at Soroz Ali of Tonntor village, his wife Noorjahan and his daughter Firoza. They were brutally killed but Noorjahan managed to flee away from the spot. Another event is that new couple Romjan Ali and his new wife took shelter in the same place. They thought that the Pak could not come there but they were ironically caught and killed.
On 31 August 1971, a large number of innocent people including 16 freedom fighters were killed in a bloody battle between freedom fighters and occupation forces at the Char Ostodar village under Narayankhila union in the Nakla upazila. A total of 250 freedom fighters took shelter in the Char Ostodar village, a meeting place of three districts (Sherpur, Jamalpur and Mymensingh). On information, Pak forces rushed to the village by Zips and pickups carrying 10 military trucks loaded with ammunitions. Later, they looted and damaged hundreds of homes on the charge of why villagers had given shelter to the freedom fighters.
On 24 November 1971 early in the morning, Pak forces killed a total of 49 innocent people in the Surjordi village, a few kilometres away from the district town. At least 200 houses were set on fire with gun powder. At least 200 girls and women were massively raped, fired to death at the local Government Primary School premises and then thrown into the current of the Migi River. Six Freedom fighters including Giyas Company, Sohraf Ali, Abdul Khalek, Fozlur Rahman, Habibur Rahman, Momotaj Uddin and Abol Hossain, the inhabitants of Surjordi village are the silent evidence of this spot. They fought the Pak forces with only one LMG machine gun, 45 bullets and some grenades but they went back from the battle field due to the shortage of manpower and weapons. Md. Ajijur Rahman Ajij, son of a freedom fighter and President of Projonmo 71 central committee built a memorial inscribing the list of martyred freedom fighters at the Surjordi village on April 23, 2012.

The writer is a lecturer, department of English, Haji Jalmamud College, Sherpur. Email: [email protected]