Assassination of Jogesh Chandra Ghosh
| Date | 4 April 1971 |
|---|---|
| Location |
|
| Participants | Jogesh Chandra Ghosh, Pakistan Army |
The assassination of Jogesh Chandra Ghosh occurred on 4 April 1971 at the hands of the Pakistan Army during the early phases of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Ghosh, an 84-year-old scholar, chemist, and philanthropist, was targeted at his factory headquarters in Dhaka.[1]
Background
[edit]Jogesh Chandra Ghosh was a prominent scholar and the founder of Sadhana Aushadhalaya,[2] one of the most successful Ayurvedic pharmaceutical companies in South Asi and Gopalpur Tea Company. Despite the escalating violence of Operation Searchlight and the risk to his life as a prominent Hindu intellectual, Ghosh refused to flee to India. He chose to remain at his factory estate in Garia, Dhaka, to safeguard his staff and maintain the production of essential medicines.
Assassination
[edit]On 4 April 1971, personnel from the Pakistan Army, reportedly accompanied by local collaborators (Razakars), raided the Sadhana Aushadhalaya complex.[3] Ghosh had been utilizing the sprawling compound to provide shelter to local residents, displaced families, and individuals associated with the Bangladeshi liberation movement. In 1971, when the Pakistan Military launched Operation Searchlight and began killing the civilian population in Dhaka, Ghosh too was targeted. All the Hindu staff of Sadhana Aushadhalaya, fearing for life crossed the border and took refuge in India.[4]
The soldiers dragged and bayoneted the 84-year-old Ghosh out of his residence and shot him to death[5] on the factory grounds.[6] Following his execution, the army and collaborators looted the factory, destroyed valuable Ayurvedic formulations, and vandalized the infrastructure[7][8] and looted more than 1 million rupees in cash.[9]
Legacy
[edit]Ghosh is officially recognized in Bangladesh as one of the "Martyred Intellectuals" of the 1971 war. [10][page needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Dastidar, Sachi G. (2008). Empire's Last Casualty: Indian Subcontinent's Vanishing Hindu and Other Minorities. Firma KLM. p. 95. ISBN 978-81-7102-151-2.
- ↑ Gupta, Jyoti Sen (1974). History of Freedom Movement in Bangladesh, 1943-1973: Some Involvement. Naya Prokash. p. 319.
- ↑ "Shadhana Oushadhalaya: The 111-year legacy of Bengal's Ayurvedic pioneer". The Business Standard. 2025-12-09. Retrieved 2026-08-29.
- ↑ Khan, Muazzam Hussain (2012). "Ghosh, Jogesh Chandra". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ↑ Khan, Muazzam Hussain (2012). "Ghosh, Jogesh Chandra". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ↑ Dastidar, Sachi G. (2008). Empire's Last Casualty: Indian Subcontinent's Vanishing Hindu and Other Minorities. Firma KLM. pp. 95, 96. ISBN 978-81-7102-151-2.
- ↑ "The last monkeys of Sadhana Aushadhalaya | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-08-29.
- ↑ Founder of Bengal’s famous Ayurveda chain was killed by Pakistani Army August 10, 2019 getbengal.com
- ↑ Coggin, Dan (2 May 1971). "Dacca, City of the Dead". Time.
- ↑ Banerjee, Sanat Kumar (1978). Bangladesh Hindus: Agonised Quest for Cultural Emancipation. S.K. Banerjee.