Shafi Imam Rumi
Encyclopedia
Shafi Imam Rumi was a guerrilla fighter of the Bangladesh Liberation War
. He was the eldest son of Jahanara Imam
. In her famous memoir regarding the war, Rumi was seen as one of the premier character in Jahanara Imam's memoire Ekattorer Dingulee
and it is because of his death she is called Shaheed Janoni or martyr's mother.
(currently BUET
). He was also enrolled into Illinois Institute of Technology
but did not attend due to the war.
, Agartala under Sector-2. It was the sector supervised by Khaled Mosharraf
and Rashid Haider. After his training he came to Dhaka to join the Crack Platoon, a group that conducted major guerrilla operations against the Pakistan Army. His major target was to bomb the Siddhirganj Power Station. Rumi operated some of closing encounters including the one at Dhanmondi road.
and Elephant road. There they were lined up in front of a military jeep and intelligence officers identified each of them by throwing headlights on the faces. Among all Rumi was separated and took to a military vehicle while Sharif with other arrested family members got in their family car. Sharif himself was driving and was accompanied by two armed military personnel, was following the military convoy. Later Rumi told to his father in detention that in that vehicle Rumi was accompanied by almost all the freedom fighters he fought with days prior to the arrest. However from Elephant Road they were taken to Ramna Police Station
where a new series of identification took place. From there the military convoy headed to Dhaka Cantonment
, this time too Sharif was driving as a part of the convoy though was one of the detainees. In Dhaka Cantonment army tortured both Rumi and others seriously and kept them in a small room somewhere near or inside a hostel in the cantonment. There they were accompanied by many other victims of that night including artist Altaf Mahmud
, Abul Barak and Rumi's colleague Azad
, Jewel and others. In that room Rumi explained to his brother Jami that army already are fully aware of his operations and he and his colleague Bodi took the full responsibly of the attacks. He advised Sharif and Jami to give the same statements and to tell the army that the family (of Rumi) were completely unaware of his activities.
Rumi's cousin who was arrested with them, was freed on September 2, 1971 reportedly because he was able to show a bus ticket which incidentally was in his pocket and proved him not be a permanent resident of Rumi's residence. Sharif, Jami were cut loose two days later on September 4. Sharif, exhausted from tiredness and injured from severe torture, drove his car to his Elephant Road residence. Rumi with others of his co-fighters Bodi, Jewel and others, were later never found, assumably became one of the hundreds of thousands of people massacred by the military junta. Some sources claim that a number of arrested freedom fighters were executed at midnight of September 4 and Rumi had been one of them. Among the captured, Chullu, one of Rumi's valiant co-fighters, was confined in the Central Jail of Dhaka, from where he was rescued by a group of sector-2 freedom fighters after the allied forces occupied Dhaka on 16 December.
As Rumi along with his co-fighters had been acting as the key masterminds of Dhaka metropolitan
oriented guerrilla warfare
to that date and among them almost all then staying in Dhaka were captured on days around 29 August, the crackdown appeared as a temporary halt to Mukti Bahini
operations in Dhaka
. Later, though the Sector 2 commander Maj. Khaled Mosharraf
had to largely curtail his Dhaka supplies because of intensifying frontier conflicts, by the end of September the capital again started being shaken by frequent guerrilla attacks on military units and bombing on key locations, and this time it continued almost up to the Pakistani surrender
in December later that year.
As Yahya Khan
was set to announce mass mercy on September 5, 1971 many family relatives instated to ask mercy petition for Rumi to the government. Rumi's parents took the suggestion and thought over it but later decided to not do so because they considered it to be a dishonor to Rumi's views and ideology.
Rumi's father Engr.
Sharif Imam underwent a massive heart-attack
on 13 December, 1971, was rushed to IPGMR (popularly known as PG hospital, later renamed to BSMMU), where he died at late night because the defibrillator couldn't be used due to a blackout
being carried out as an official Indo-Pak war
had started a week ago.
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
. He was the eldest son of Jahanara Imam
Jahanara Imam
Jahanara Imam was a Bangladeshi writer and political activist. She is most widely remembered for her efforts to bring those accused of committing war crimes in the Bangladesh Liberation War to trial...
. In her famous memoir regarding the war, Rumi was seen as one of the premier character in Jahanara Imam's memoire Ekattorer Dingulee
Ekattorer Dingulee
Ekattorer Dingulee is an autobiographical book by Martyr-Mother Jahanara Imam based on her experiences of the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971.Ekattorer Dingulee means The Days of 71....
and it is because of his death she is called Shaheed Janoni or martyr's mother.
Early life
Rumi was born on 29 March 1951 in the higher middle class family of Jahanara and Sharif Imam. He started his education in a local kindergarten school at Azimpur. Rumi passed his matriculation from Adamji Cantonment School and College in 1968. He stood third in the Pakistan Education Board. During his college days, Rumi joined the University Officers Training Core along with his friends. He was later got promoted to the rank of Sergent. By March 1971, he completed his H.S.C. and got admitted in Engineering CollegeEngineering college
Engineering colleges generally refer to institutes of higher education which offer an engineering course at degree level. The duration of the course is four to five years depending upon the university to which the college is affiliated. The students learn little of basic science concentrating...
(currently BUET
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology or BUET as it is commonly known, is a Public Engineering University in Bangladesh. It is the oldest Engineering institution in the region, and is regarded as the best university for technological education in Bangladesh...
). He was also enrolled into Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
but did not attend due to the war.
Bangladesh Liberation War
During the earlier part of the war, Rumi constantly attempted to convenience her mother for giving him the permission to attend the war. As her mother finally agreed on 19 April 1971, Rumi compiled his first attempt to cross the border on 2 May. But he had to come back for adverse situation and became successful in his second try. He took training for the war in MelagharMelaghar Camp
Melaghar Camp was a training camp for freedom fighters during Liberation war of Bangladesh. In a cabinet meeting of Bangladesh government, held on July 11, 1971, Bangladesh forces was divided into eleven sectors...
, Agartala under Sector-2. It was the sector supervised by Khaled Mosharraf
Khaled Mosharraf
Khaled Mosharraf was a Bangladeshi military officer who was a the Sector Commander of BDF Sector 2 and K-Force Brigade Commander during the Bangladesh War of Liberation. He was awarded Bir Uttam for his gallantry actions during the war...
and Rashid Haider. After his training he came to Dhaka to join the Crack Platoon, a group that conducted major guerrilla operations against the Pakistan Army. His major target was to bomb the Siddhirganj Power Station. Rumi operated some of closing encounters including the one at Dhanmondi road.
Arrest by Pakistan Army & Aftermath
After his operation he became an icon to his fellow warriors. He stayed the night of 29 August 1971 to his house, the night when Pakistan Army caught most of the guerrilla fighters based on their information from an unknown source. His father, younger brother and a cousin were also arrested with him. They were first taken to the intersect of Mirpur RoadMirpur Road
Mirpur Road is a long north-south road connecting the northern part of Mirpur and Dhaka University campus. This is one of the major roads in Dhaka. Mirpur road runs through Shyamoli, Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi. the main intersections of Mirpur road include Asad Avenue-Mirpur road, Darus-salam...
and Elephant road. There they were lined up in front of a military jeep and intelligence officers identified each of them by throwing headlights on the faces. Among all Rumi was separated and took to a military vehicle while Sharif with other arrested family members got in their family car. Sharif himself was driving and was accompanied by two armed military personnel, was following the military convoy. Later Rumi told to his father in detention that in that vehicle Rumi was accompanied by almost all the freedom fighters he fought with days prior to the arrest. However from Elephant Road they were taken to Ramna Police Station
Ramna Thana
Ramna is a Thana of Dhaka District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.-Demographics:As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Ramna has a population of 195,167. Males constitute are 58.32% of the population, and females 41.68%. The upazila's population of those aged 18 and higher is 127,049...
where a new series of identification took place. From there the military convoy headed to Dhaka Cantonment
Dhaka Cantonment
Dhaka Cantonment is a cantonment located in the northern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The headquarters of Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force are situated within this cantonment...
, this time too Sharif was driving as a part of the convoy though was one of the detainees. In Dhaka Cantonment army tortured both Rumi and others seriously and kept them in a small room somewhere near or inside a hostel in the cantonment. There they were accompanied by many other victims of that night including artist Altaf Mahmud
Altaf Mahmud
Altaf Mahmud was a musician, cultural activist and martyred freedom fighter of the Bangladesh Liberation War...
, Abul Barak and Rumi's colleague Azad
Azad
Azād means "free" in languages that belongs to the Indo-Iranian group like Urdu, Kurdish, Persian and Dari. It may refer to:-People named Azad:* Azad Shah Afghan, founder and first ruler of Azad dynasty.* Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Indian freedom-fighter...
, Jewel and others. In that room Rumi explained to his brother Jami that army already are fully aware of his operations and he and his colleague Bodi took the full responsibly of the attacks. He advised Sharif and Jami to give the same statements and to tell the army that the family (of Rumi) were completely unaware of his activities.
Rumi's cousin who was arrested with them, was freed on September 2, 1971 reportedly because he was able to show a bus ticket which incidentally was in his pocket and proved him not be a permanent resident of Rumi's residence. Sharif, Jami were cut loose two days later on September 4. Sharif, exhausted from tiredness and injured from severe torture, drove his car to his Elephant Road residence. Rumi with others of his co-fighters Bodi, Jewel and others, were later never found, assumably became one of the hundreds of thousands of people massacred by the military junta. Some sources claim that a number of arrested freedom fighters were executed at midnight of September 4 and Rumi had been one of them. Among the captured, Chullu, one of Rumi's valiant co-fighters, was confined in the Central Jail of Dhaka, from where he was rescued by a group of sector-2 freedom fighters after the allied forces occupied Dhaka on 16 December.
As Rumi along with his co-fighters had been acting as the key masterminds of Dhaka metropolitan
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
oriented guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
to that date and among them almost all then staying in Dhaka were captured on days around 29 August, the crackdown appeared as a temporary halt to Mukti Bahini
Mukti Bahini
Mukti Bahini , also termed as the "Freedom Fighters" or FFs, collectively refers to the armed organizations who fought against the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was dynamically formed by Bengali regulars and civilians after the proclamation of Bangladesh's independence on...
operations in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
. Later, though the Sector 2 commander Maj. Khaled Mosharraf
Khaled Mosharraf
Khaled Mosharraf was a Bangladeshi military officer who was a the Sector Commander of BDF Sector 2 and K-Force Brigade Commander during the Bangladesh War of Liberation. He was awarded Bir Uttam for his gallantry actions during the war...
had to largely curtail his Dhaka supplies because of intensifying frontier conflicts, by the end of September the capital again started being shaken by frequent guerrilla attacks on military units and bombing on key locations, and this time it continued almost up to the Pakistani surrender
Instrument of Surrender (1971)
The Instrument of Surrender was signed at Ramna Race Course in Dhaka at one past five in the evening , local time, on December 16, 1971, by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding in Chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan...
in December later that year.
As Yahya Khan
Yahya Khan
General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan Qizilbash, H.Pk, HJ, S.Pk, psc was the third President of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971, following the resignation of Ayub Khan...
was set to announce mass mercy on September 5, 1971 many family relatives instated to ask mercy petition for Rumi to the government. Rumi's parents took the suggestion and thought over it but later decided to not do so because they considered it to be a dishonor to Rumi's views and ideology.
Rumi's father Engr.
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
Sharif Imam underwent a massive heart-attack
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
on 13 December, 1971, was rushed to IPGMR (popularly known as PG hospital, later renamed to BSMMU), where he died at late night because the defibrillator couldn't be used due to a blackout
Blackout (wartime)
A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...
being carried out as an official Indo-Pak war
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
had started a week ago.