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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|1971 mass killing in East Pakistan}}<br />
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}<br />
{{Infobox civilian attack<br />
| title = Sree Angan massacre <br/>শ্রীঅঙ্গন হত্যাকান্ড<br />
| image = <br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = <br />
| map = {{Location map|Bangladesh|lat=23.60|long=89.82|caption=}}<br />
| map_caption = <br />
| location = Faridpur, East Pakistan<br />
| target = [[Bengali Hindus]]<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| date = 21 April 1971<br />
| time = <br />
| timezone = UTC+6:00<br />
| type = <br />
| fatalities = 8<br />
| injuries = <br />
| perps = [[Pakistan Army]]<br />
| weapons = [[Light machine gun]]s, [[Semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic rifle]]s<br />
| numparts = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Sree Angan massacre''' ({{lang-bn|শ্রীঅঙ্গন হত্যাকান্ড}}) refers to the massacre of [[Bengali Hindu]] sanyasis of [[Sri Angan|Sree Angan]] monastery in Faridpur on 21 April 1971. Eights sanyasis were killed by the Pakistan Army in the massacre.<ref name="khan149-150">{{cite book |last=Khan |first=Abu Saeed |title=Muktiyuddhe Pharidapura |year=2013 |script-title=bn:মুক্তিযুদ্ধে ফরিদপুর |publisher=Sahitya Bikash| location=Dhaka |language=bn |pages=149–150 |isbn=978-9848320853}}</ref><br />
{{Violence against Hindus in East Pakistan and Bangladesh}}<br />
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== Background ==<br />
{{Main|Sri Angan}}<br />
[[Sri Angan|Sree Angan]] is a Hindu ashram of the Mahanam Sampradaya order of Vaishnavism, in the Goalchamat locality of Faridpur town.<br />
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== Killings ==<br />
On 21 April, the Pakistan army landed in Faridpur. From [[Dhaka]] they crossed the [[Padma River|Padma]] at [[Goalundo Ghat]] and proceeded towards [[Faridpur District|Faridpur]].<ref name="bss06122009">{{cite news|url=http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=74778$date=2009-12-05&dateCurrent=2009-12-06|title=Innocent devotees could not escape the wrath of Pak army|date=6 December 2009|publisher=Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha|access-date=4 February 2015|location=Dhaka}}</ref><ref name="bss29112014">{{cite news|url=http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=451724&date=2014-11-29|title=Innocent devotees could not escape wrath of Pak army|date=29 November 2014|publisher=Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha|access-date=4 February 2015|location=Dhaka}}</ref> Around evening as they were entering [[Faridpur District|Faridpur]] they were passing through Goalchamat. At this point, their Bihari collaborator stopped them by the Sree Angan ashram. The Pakistan Army surrounded the ashram and with the help of Bihari collaborators entered the compound. At the news of their arrival, some of the resident sanyasis fled the ashram. But nine sanyasis did not leave the ashram. At that time the sanyasis were doing [[Nama sankeerthanam|kirtan]] in the prayer hall of the ashram. The [[Nama sankeerthanam|kirtan]] had chants of "Jaya Jagadabandhu Hari! Jaya Jaya Jagadabandhu Har!!". It is said that the Pakistani soldiers misheard the chants as "Jai Bangabandhu" and the Bihari collaborators too convinced them that the sanyasis were praying for victory to [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]].<ref name="khan149-150"/><br />
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The Pakistani soldiers entered the prayer hall and pulled the sanyasis to the open space in front of the temple, beneath the [[Dillenia indica|elephant apple]] tree in the ashram premises.<ref name="bss06122009"/> One sanyasi, Nabakumar Brahmachari escaped and locked himself up in the room beneath the staircase. The remaining eight were made to stand in a line in front the Pakistani soldiers who had already taken position. According to eyewitness accounts, twelve shots were fired one by one. The sanyasis chanted "Jaya Jagadabandhu Hari" as they dropped dead.<ref name="khan149-150"/><br />
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The soldiers and the Bihari collaborators looted valuables and cash from the ashram.<ref name="sorejominbarta21042014">{{cite news|url=http://sorejominbarta.com/national/article/18603#.VNEUD52Ufpc|script-title=bn:ফরিদপুর শ্রীঅঙ্গনের ৮ সাধু হত্যা দিবস সোমবার|date=21 April 2014|work=sorejominbarta.com|language=bn|access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref> On the next morning, the corpses were taken away by a Faridpur Municipality truck.<ref name="sorejominbarta21042014"/> 5 days later, the Pakistan army destroyed the spire of the temple using dynamite.<ref name="sorejominbarta21042014"/><br />
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== Aftermath ==<br />
The brutal killings on the very first day of Pakistani occupation created panic among the Hindu citizens.<ref name="bss06122009"/> Many of them left the town for countryside. Two surviving sanyasis Amar Bandhu and Haripriya Brahmachari recovered the holy relic of Prabhu Jagadabandhu and carried them in a casket to India.<ref name="bss29112014"/><br />
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According to Rabindranath Trivedi, Captain Jamshed, who commanded the massacre and the subsequent desecration and destruction of the ashram, committed suicide in front of the altar of Lord Jagadabandhu Sundar a few days before the [[Pakistani Instrument of Surrender|surrender of Pakistani Armed Forces on 16 December 1971]].<ref name="trivedi28052007">{{cite journal|last=Trivedi|first=Rabindranath|date=28 May 2007|title=April 1971: 'Recalling Massacres of Those Days in Faridpur'|journal=Asian Tribune|publisher=World Institute For Asian Studies|location=Hallstavik|volume=12|issue=1017|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/5902|access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref> He was reportedly buried within the Sree Angan compound, near the pond of the Shiva temple by the collaborators.<ref name="trivedi28052007"/> According to freedom fighter Prabodh Kumar Sarkar, Captain Jamshed had become a lunatic before his death.<ref name="trivedi28052007"/> The sanyasis returned to the ashram after the liberation of [[Bangladesh]]. They restored the holy relic and rebuilt the damaged temple. New sanyasis were gradually initiated in the order.<ref name="bss29112014"/><br />
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== Memorial ==<br />
In 1996, a memorial was erected in the compound of Sree Angan by the ashram authority. Eight black plaques were created for the eight deceased sanyasis. The plaques have the shape of truncated pyramid with a square base measuring 40 square centimeters and 95 centimeters in height.<ref name="khan180">{{cite book |last=Khan |first=Abu Saeed |title=Muktiyuddhe Pharidapura |year=2013 |script-title=bn:মুক্তিযুদ্ধে ফরিদপুর |publisher=Sahitya Bikash |location=Dhaka |language=bn |isbn=978-9848320853|page=180}}</ref><br />
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A memorial has also been erected in Sree Sree Mahanam Angan, Kolkata, India. The names of 8 sanyasis are written in 8 pieces of engraved marbles in the memorial.{{fact|date=September 2021}}<br />
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== See also ==<br />
* [[Ishangopalpur massacre]]<br />
* [[Char Bhadrasan massacre]]<br />
* [[Hasamdia massacre]]<br />
* [[Prabhu Jagadbandhu|Prabhu Jagadbandu]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{1971 Bangladesh genocide|state=expanded}}<br />
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{{Coord|23.59685|N|89.82295|E|region:BD_type:event|display=title}}<br />
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[[Category:1971 Bangladesh genocide]]<br />
[[Category:Massacres of Bengali Hindus in East Pakistan]]<br />
[[Category:1971 in Bangladesh]]<br />
[[Category:1971 in Pakistan]]<br />
[[Category:Massacres in 1971]]<br />
[[Category:Massacres committed by Pakistan in East Pakistan]]<br />
[[Category:April 1971 events in Bangladesh]]</div>Bot