Agartala, Dec. 15 (PTI): A park, commemorating Indian soldiers and Bangladeshi freedom fighters who lost their lives during the 1971 Liberation war, would be inaugurated by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar here tomorrow.
The massive park has been built at Chottakhola, a border village, about 130 km from Agartala.
The foundation stone for the 20.20 hectare park, which encompasses seven hillocks and a lake near the Trishna wild life sanctuary, was laid by the then Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni in November 2010.
Two statues of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and former Prime Minister of India, India Gandhi, were put up in the park which was earlier a base for ‘Mukti Joddhas’ (Bangladeshi freedom fighters) from where they launched operations against the Pakistani army in Noakhali, Feni and parts of Comilla district of Bangladesh.
A 57 feet tower was constructed at the park from where parts of Noakhali and Feni districts in neighbouring Bangladesh are visible.
“A museum, which is under constructions at the park, would display arms and ammunition used in the war, old photographs and newspaper clippings,” local MLA, Sudhan Das told reporters.
PWD Minister Badal Choudhury said the Tripura government built the park at a cost of Rs 7 crore with contributions from different government departments.
We have a shared history with Banfladesh and we have lingual and cultural affinity. It is a milestone of our friendship with Bangladesh. So, we have named it Bangladesh-Bharat Moitree Udyaan (Bangladesh-India friendship park) , Chowdhury, who hails from South Tripura district, told reporters.
He hoped that the park will become a new address for tourists both from within India as well as Bangladesh.
During the Liberation War, I joined the Mukti Joddhas after a short training and fought against the Pakistani army in the Comilla sector, former deputy speaker and a prominent leader of the ruling CPI(M) Subol Rudra recalled.
Former Congress minister and now BJP leader, Jawhar Saha said, I was also a member of the Mukti Fauj. When the Indian army was combating the Pakistani army, our duty was to attack the Rajakars or the collaborators of the Pakistani army,”
State PWD Minister, Badal Chowdhury, Forest Minister Naresh Jamatiya, Drinking Water Supply Minister Ratan Bhowmick, Lok Sabha MPs Jitendra Chowdhury and Shankar Prasad Datta and local MLA, Sudhan are among other dignitaries would attend the inaugural ceremony.
