The Perua Massacre: A Forgotten Chapter of 1971 Genocide in Sunamganj

On 25 March 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces attempted to crush the Bengalis’ desire for independence at its roots through an unprecedented campaign of genocide and destruction. The genocide, which began in Dhaka, continued throughout Bangladesh during the following nine months. The number of people killed in the Liberation War is 3 million, or even more. More than five thousand killing fields have been identified across the country so far, of which one thousand are officially marked. Sadly, even after 47 years of independence, these killing fields remain unprotected. This series of articles highlights some of the major unprotected killing fields.

About 54 kilometers from Sunamganj district town, on the western bank of the Surma River, lies a Hindu-inhabited village named Perua in Charnarchar Union of Dirai upazila. On the opposite bank of the river is Shyamarchar Bazar and at the southern corner lies Ujangao, which some locals refer to as Daulatpur. From different parts of the country—particularly from Mymensingh—many Muslims settled permanently in the villages of this area; the locals referred to them as “settler Muslims.” During the Liberation War, Khaleq Mia of Ujangao in Shalla thana (who ran in the 1970 Provincial Council election from PDP and lost to Suranjit Sengupta) and the then chairman of Bahara Union Parishad of Shalla thana, Sharafat Mia, formed a large Razakar force from among these settler Muslims. They carried out genocide, looting, arson, and violence against women across the lowland region of Sunamganj.

In early December 1971, after the Pakistan army left Sunamganj, Razakar commander Khaleq Mia and his forces set up a camp in his own village (Daulatpur, also known as Ujangao). At dawn on 6 December, freedom fighters led by Commander Sudhir Kumar Das attacked the Razakar camp. After Sudhir Kumar Das and several freedom fighters, including Jowhar Lal Das, were killed or injured in the attack, the freedom fighters retreated. At that moment, the Razakars crossed the river and attacked Perua and the surrounding villages. They began indiscriminate firing and set fire to several houses. They also entered homes, tortured adolescent girls and young women, and looted money and gold from helpless villagers.

Realizing the horrifying situation, terrified men and women fled with their children toward a tree-covered area near Elangjuri village, nearly two kilometers away. But the Razakars followed them there as well, capturing everyone and gathering them in the field of Ramchandra High School after separating men and women into two groups. They brutally tortured the men, and after the torture, took them to the riverbank and shot them dead. The Razakars told the women, “You have nothing to fear; you will be sent to a safe place.” After giving this false assurance, they took the women to the Razakar camp and subjected them to brutal sexual violence. Many Hindus were also forced to recite the Kalema and convert to Islam. Because they were minors, Hirendra Shekhar Rai Chowdhury, Shailen Kumar Rai, Modon, and Pandav survived that day. Six members of Shailen Kumar Rai’s family were killed.

On the way from Ujangao to Perua, the Razakars forced a Perua day laborer, Brajendra Das, to help them cross the river. After crossing, they shot him. With bullet wounds in his abdomen, Brajendra jumped into the river, somehow swam ashore, and reached the house of Gunjar Ali in Perua. Gunjar Ali tried to stop his bleeding by tying cloth around his wound. Meanwhile, the Razakars entered Gunjar Ali’s house looking for Brajendra Das. Brajendra escaped, but the Razakars, furious at not finding him, vandalized the house. They said that Gunjar Ali and his wife, Kulsum Bibi, helped Brajendra escape. The Razakar commander then ordered that Kulsum Bibi be abducted. The Razakars tried to forcibly take her to their camp. Gunjar Ali repeatedly pleaded for his wife to be released. While dragging Kulsum by the hand and pulling Gunjar Ali by the legs, the Razakars struck Gunjar Ali on the head with the butt of a rifle, crushing his skull, and then shot him dead. When he collapsed, the Razakars dragged Kulsum to the riverbank and took her to their camp by boat. She cried for help, but no one dared to come forward. Her young children stood by the river crying for their mother. Kulsum was devastated—her husband had been killed, she had been abducted, and no one remained to care for her children.

At the camp, she was held for three days and subjected to brutal torture. After being released, she crossed the river and returned home with great difficulty, only to find her two young children lying unconscious from hunger and fear, and her husband’s body being eaten by dogs and cats. Terrified and grief-stricken, Kulsum fed her children some puffed rice and water from the house. Despite her injured state, she single-handedly buried her husband’s body, as most villagers had fled due to fear of the Razakars.

A few days later, some villagers returned. But out of fear of the Razakars and because they considered her “dishonored,” they began avoiding her. Some even said that she had “become a bad woman.” As a result, she was not allowed to work in villagers’ homes.

Gunjar Ali’s acquaintance, Kala Mia, a bamboo trader from nearby Shyamarchar Bazar, was a brave and socially conscious man around 55 years old. Upon hearing of Gunjar Ali’s death, he met Kulsum Bibi and learned about her tragic condition. His presence gave Kulsum some courage. Kala Mia helped her. Meanwhile, the country became independent, but villagers still treated her with disrespect. After some time, Kala Mia told her that although he was more than 30 years older, he was willing to marry her if she agreed. Kulsum told him that she had been violated and that if he married her, the villagers would insult him. But Kala Mia replied that she bore no fault for what had happened, and any woman could have faced such horror. He said he was a brave person and no one would dare insult him. Considering the need to raise her two children, Kulsum agreed to marry him. Kala Mia lived for 13 years after the marriage, loving and respecting her, and raising her children as his own.

Another group of Razakars came to Gunjar Ali’s home on 6 December after failing to find Brajendra Das earlier. Not finding him there either, they tortured his pregnant wife, Pramila Das. Brajendra Das, who was shot in the abdomen, is still alive today. Several villagers and freedom fighters were martyred in the clashes with the Razakars that day. To this day, no memorial has been built at the site of the 6 December 1971 massacre in Perua village of Sunamganj. The villagers have long demanded an official monument there.

Writer: Lt. Colonel (Retd.) Sajjad Ali Zahir, Bir Pratik, Independence Award Recipient