A tribute to revolution and resistance
In the port city's Dampara area, stands a 14 feet tall red building with a single door -- bearing the history of a revolution's inception. The building -- a British armoury back in the time -- was attacked by a group of young revolutionaries under the leadership of Surya Sen on April 18, 1930, following which Chattogram was cut off from the rest of British India for four days.
The structure still stands with all its revolutionary glory and pride and has currently been turned into a museum by Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP).
The history of revolution attached to this red building doesn't just come to halt at the armoury raid of 1930. On March 28, 1971, Pakistan armed forces attacked Dampara Police Lines in the early hours. The attack was valiantly resisted by Bengalee policemen on duty, with the most minimal arrangement of resources. SP Shamsul Haque, OC Abdul Khalek and 49 other policemen sacrificed their lives in the fight.
The memories of these two battles, along with those of the 82 CMP policemen martyred in different battles throughout the Liberation war, are well preserved in the new museum with uniforms, firearms, rank badges, caps, and radios used by the then policemen.
The museum also has a Bangabandhu Corner, an audiovisual corner and a leaser show portraying the history of police starting from the Mughal to the modern era.
This correspondent visited the museum on March 26 and found people from all walks of life coming in to visit the museum with joy and curiosity.
"I saw the Liberation War from up close. I came here to recall the horrors and bravery attached to this history. The museum is unique in all senses," said 70-year-old Md Rizvi Bakar Ibnul Mann.
"The intention is to pass on the glorious and revolutionary history to the younger generations with the museum," said CMP Commissioner Saleh Mohammad Tanvir.
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