Kader Siddique The hero of Bangladesh

Kader Siddique

Kader Siddiqui often hailed as Bagha (Tiger) Kader or Bongo Bir (Hero of Bengal) is one of the most famous fighters and organizers of the Bangladeshi liberation war. Siddiqui has to be decorated as bir uttom by the government of Bangladesh. He organized and fought with an estimated 10,000-strong guerrilla force^[in the Tangailregion against the Pakistan Army. This army was called kadaria bahini(Kader's Army). At the end of the war, on December 16, Siddique's forces entered Dhaka along with the Indian forces signalling the end of the war.

Involvement in massacres of prisoners of war

According to a report in The Times, Siddiqui's guerrillas beat up and subsequently bayoneted and shot to death a group of prisoners (who they claimed were Razakar) after a rally held near Dhaka Stadium on December 19, at which Siddiqui himself gave an hour long speech. The prisoners were murdered after performing Islamic prayers together with their captors. According to the same source, shortly before murdering them, the Muktibahini soldiers promised the prisoners 'a fair trial, as in any civilized country'.

Abdul Kader Siddiqui personally bayoneted three prisoners to death and the entire incident was filmed by foreign film crews whom Siddiqui invited to witness the spectacle.Siddiqui was subsequently arrested by the Indian Army.

Siddiqui discussed his involvement in the murders in an interview with Yesmin Saika, the author of 'Women, War and Making Bangladesh: Remembering 1971'. After describing an event in which Siddiqui shot a Mukti bahini soldier for stealing a shawl from a Bengali civilian, Saikia states, referring to the Dhaka stadium incident, that 'at the time he did not think of his act as a crime against humanity, being swayed by the Bengali public sentiment for revenge. Today he knows that both the acts - killing a younger soldier for a petty theft and killing the Biharis for being different from the Bengalis - were public acts of violence disguised under the label of national morale to establish the power of the Bengalis and claim victory, but they were violent acts, nonetheless, and he is pained by his past'.

Siddiqui was never tried for these crimes

Post-1971

After East Pakistan seceded from West Pakistan and became Bangladesh, Siddiqui went back to his home town of tangail where he enjoyed considerable patronage from the Awami League, the party of then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Muzibur rahaman.

After the assassination of Mujibur Rahman in 1975, Siddiqui and his followers organised attacks on the authorities of Khondokar Mostaq's government. Elements loyal to Siddiqui operated from bases in Assam province in India and were actively supported by India's Border Security Force.

Siddiqui was an MP in the parliament of Bangladesh. In March 2013, he accused the Bangladesh Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir of hypocrisy in domestic war crimes trials, calling him an ultra Razakar.He stated, "The current Home Minister was an officer of the Pakistan Government. During the Liberation War...the Pakistan Army massacred people with the assistance of Dr Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir.

Tangail was freed on 11 December In 1971 by 

Kader Siddique

Tangail, around 70 kilometres north of Dhaka, was freed from the occupation of Pakistan army on 11 December in1971.

The occupation forces retreated to Dhaka from Tangail as around 2,000 paratroopers of the allied (mitra) forces landed at Poulee near Tangail town on December 10. The freedom fighters entered the town on the following day and hoisted the flag of independent Bangladesh.

Tangail district unit of Swadhin Bangla Gono Mukti Parishad was formed in the first of March in 1971. The parishad organised the local youths and arranged a military training programme for them.

Soon after army crackdown on unarmed Bangalees on the night of March 26 in Dhaka, local freedom fighters set up blockades on the road to Tangail at Goran-Satiachara in Mirzapur. On April 3, the Pakistani army entered Tangail, breaking the blockades and captured the district headquarters.

Within the next few days, the then Chhatra League leader Abdul Kader Siddique formed Kaderia Bahini, comprising the local freedom fighters and started fighting with the occupation forces at different places in the district. Many guerilla operations, launched by Kaderia Bahini against Pakistan army, were successful.

Another group of freedom fighters led by Khandaker Abdul Baten also fought against Pakistan army in different areas of Tangail.

To mark the day, different socio-cultural and political organisations will take out colourful processions in the town and hold discussion meetings.

Tangail district unit of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad will also bring out a procession in the town and hold a rally. Local people and freedom fighters will place wreaths at the memorial for the martyred freedom fighters at Shaheed Smriti Poura Udyan in the morning.