At 73 years of age, decorated freedom fighter Bimal Pal, famously known as the “Liberation War Hawker,” has once again stepped into a new battle—this time armed only with a hand microphone. Braving the scorching sun at Mymensingh’s Feroz-Jahangir Square, he passionately narrated the heroic legacy of Language Movement veteran and freedom fighter Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan.
The Ministry of Sports recently renamed the Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium. In an order issued on Wednesday (April 23), the ministry announced that the stadium will now simply be called “District Stadium, Mymensingh.”
This move has outraged Bimal Pal.
A live video of Bimal Pal’s solitary protest with a hand mic has already spread across Facebook, sparking an outpouring of solidarity from thousands who are expressing their support through comments and shares.
His voice of protest
Standing alone, Bimal Pal declared: “I am Bimal Pal. You have seen us protest here at Feroz-Jahangir Square on many occasions over various issues in Mymensingh. Today, I stand alone to firmly say that the Mymensingh Stadium was named after Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan, a towering figure of the Awami League and a son of Mymensingh.”
“Today, Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan is no longer with us. And just two or three days ago, the Sports Ministry revoked the stadium’s name through an official order,” Bimal Pal said. “Let me say unequivocally: the name of Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan, a pioneer of the Awami League, cannot be erased from the pages of history. I demand that the stadium’s name be restored.”
He further warned the Yunus government: “Do not attempt to erase the names associated with Mymensingh’s history and heritage. For example, Mymensingh has a road named after another legendary figure, Abul Mansur Ahmed, who was linked to the Awami League during the 1954 elections. We do not want such names to disappear from history. Do not change the name of this road either.”
He continued: “You know that a college here is named after Syed Nazrul Islam, the Vice President of the Mujibnagar Government during the Liberation War. I urge you not to attempt to change these names through any ministry. Also refrain from tampering with names like Alamgir Mansur Mintoo, a martyr of the 1969 uprising.”
Issuing a public call, Bimal Pal said: “I hope the conscious citizens of Mymensingh will speak up. Today, I stand alone, speaking these words as a freedom fighter. Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan, an organiser of the sector 11 of the Liberation War, must never be forgotten.”
“I thank the struggling masses for patiently listening to me,” he concluded.
Who was Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan?
According to Wikipedia, Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan (January 25, 1928 – March 23, 1996) was a distinguished politician and Language Movement beteran of Bangladesh.
He was elected Member of Parliament from Mymensingh-13 and Mymensingh-9 (Nandail) constituencies as an Awami League candidate.
In addition to his contributions to the 1952 Language Movement, he was a key organiser of the Mymensingh region during the 1971 Liberation War.
Not just for this cause
Bimal Pal’s activism is not limited to this issue. He has tirelessly travelled from town to village, sharing untold stories of the Liberation War with children. Over time, he has remained active in various civic movements, including demanding a non-communal Bangladesh.
In 2022, Bimal Pal stirred the nation by marching 300 kilometres on foot in support of a non-communal Bangladesh.
That journey started on December 1 from Mujib Chattar at the Mymensingh Circuit House and covered areas including Muktagachha, Fulbaria, Trishal, Gafargaon, Nandail, Ishwarganj, Gouripur, Dobaura, Haluaghat, Phulpur, and Tarakanda, culminating back in Mymensingh city on December 10, marking Mymensingh Liberation Day.
Hundreds, including students, teachers, freedom fighters, workers, women, cultural activists, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and intellectuals joined him in that long march.
Prior to that, Bimal Pal had conducted three similar marches, singing songs of patriotism, secularism, and liberation.
Most recently, during the mass uprising of July-August, Bimal Pal once again took a stand.
On August 1, 2024 he led a ‘March of Rebellion’ in Mymensingh, demanding an end to indiscriminate shootings, mass arrests, and the withdrawal of curfews. Numerous people from all walks of life joined that protest, directly challenging the authoritarian Hasina government.
Feroz-Jahangir Square, where Bimal Pal has staged most of his protests, was established in memory of two martyrs of the 1990 student uprising and remains a symbolic heart of resistance in Mymensingh. It is there he has now raised his voice alone against the renaming of the Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium.
“The government must take a clear stand on the Liberation War”
Professor Anu Muhammad, a member of the Democratic Rights Committee, has expressed solidarity with Bimal Pal’s protest.
Speaking to Times of Bangladesh, he said: “The renaming of Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium is highly objectionable and deeply concerning. It is the government’s duty to preserve establishments, markers, and names that are tied to the memory of the Liberation War.”
He added: “Changing such names or adopting an anti-Liberation stance means giving prominence to fascist ideology, which is completely unacceptable.”
Professor Anu Muhammad further said: “This government came into existence through the spirit of the Liberation War during the July-August uprising. Therefore, it must take a clear stand in favour of the Liberation War. The renaming decision must be immediately revoked and the original name restored. Otherwise, it would be seen as an attempt to appease anti-liberation forces, which can never be accepted.”