Mukti Maitree (Bengali: মুক্তি মৈত্রী) is a sculpture located at Chorhash intersection in Kushtia.[2] It is also known as Mukti Mitra (Bengali: মুক্তি মিত্র). On December 10, 1971, many soldiers of Mitro Bahini were killed during a battle with Pakistani troops. The next day on December 11, the Pakistani army was defeated by a counter-attack of Mitro Bahini and Kushtia was liberated.[3] A memorial was initiated in 1990 to preserve this memory.[4] It is the first monument in the country to commemorate the members of the Mitro Bahini in Bangladesh.[5]
| Mukti Maitree Mukti Mitra | |
|---|---|
মুক্তি মৈত্রী মুক্তি মিত্র | |
 Mukti Maitree Memorial during its inauguration on 10 December 2015 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Chorhash intersection |
| Town or city | Kushtia |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Coordinates | 23°53′26″N 89°06′37″E / 23.890635°N 89.110163°E |
| Inaugurated | December 10, 2015[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Manwar Hossain Dablu[2] |
Context and history
editOn December 10, 1971, many soldiers of the Mitro Bahini were killed in a battle with the Pakistani army at horhash a . A few tanks and a plane were destroyed.[4][6] The following day on 11 December, the Pakistani army was defeated by an Allied counter-attack.[3] Kushtia Independence Day is celebrated in Kushtia district on 11 December every year.[7]
To preserve this memory, an initiative was taken to build a monument at horhash tion in 1990.[6] But it was not implemented due to frequent design changes and economic and various complications. The construction work was completed in 2015 after nearly 25 years of initiation. The name is Mukti Maitri . It was inaugurated on 10 December 2015 by the Governor of the Indian state of Tripura, Tathagata Roy.[4]
The then Minister of Liberation War AKM Mozammel Haque, joint general secretary of Awami League and former member of parliament of Kushtia-3 Mahbubul Alam Hanif, former member of parliament of Kushtia-4 Abdur Rauf, 11th vice-chancellor of Islamic University Abdul Hakim Sarkar, then Kushtia deputy commissioner Syed Belal Hossain, district council administrator Zahid Hossain Zafar, Kushtia District Awami League president Alhaj Sadar Uddin Khan and General Secretary Azgar Ali along with district and upazila freedom fighter commanders were present.[8]
Structure
editThere is a tank on top of a high and solid platform. Between the tanks and east of the platform is a fighter plane 2 columns up, 1 each.
There are a total of 7 murals around the pillar. First there are portraits of former Bangladesh President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi . Then there is the picture of 7 March Speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the portraits of Syed Nazrul Islam, the caretaker president of the Mujibnagar Government and Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad. There are also separately the portraits of the four national leaders, the Mujibnagar Memorial, the temporary capital of independent Bangladesh . Images of enthusiastic crowds cheering on battle-damaged tanks as they liberated the city of Kushtia from the invaders, along with a column of warplanes and tanks. There is a historical picture of the surrender of Pakistani forces on December 16, 1971, at the then Race Course Maidan and portraits of seven great heroes.[6] After the resignation of Sheikh Hasina on 5 August 2024, the structure suffered some damage.
See more
editReferences
edit- ^ "Inauguration of Mukti Mitra Memorial at Kushtia". Utyaradhikar 71 News. 2015-12-10. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ a b মোস্তাক আহমেদ (ed.). সাংস্কৃতিক জনপদ কুষ্টিয়া [Cultural Town Kushtia] (pdf) (in Bengali). Kushtia: District administration. p. 86. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-09-12.
- ^ a b SM Rashed (2023-12-11). "22 Kushtia was freed from the invaders in a bloody war". Somoy Sangbad. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ a b c "'Muktimitra' spread emotions". Prothom Aloo. 2025-12-10. Archived from the original on 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ "Inauguration of Muktimitra Monument in Kushtia". Prothom Aloo. 2015-12-11. Archived from the original on 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ a b c Emam Mehedi (2020-12-12). "The Muktimitra monument is the only memorial of the two friendly states". Rising BD. Archived from the original on 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ "Kushtia invasion day tomorrow". Dhaka Times. 2018-12-10. Archived from the original on 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ MA Rokib (2015-12-10). "India is proud to have given independence". Doynik Panjare. Archived from the original on 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
External links
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