By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Thursday remembered Pritilata Waddedar, considered one of the first woman revolutionaries in undivided India who died fighting the British, with a call for recording the sacrifices of martyrs of the “Chittagong Armoury Case”.
Pritilata, born on this day a century ago, was part of the band of student revolutionaries under Surya Sen, a teacher revered as Master Da, who were hunted by the British rulers after they raided the armoury, the club house and other establishments.
Recorded in the annals of British India as “Chittagong Armoury Case”, it has been made into a full-length feature Hindi film, “Khelen Hum Jee Jaan Se”.
The Abhiskeh Bachchan-Deepika Padukone starrer was released earlier this year.
In 1932, Surya Sen planned an attack on the Pahartali European Club, which had a sign ‘Dogs and Indians not allowed’ hanging from its main gate.
Surya Sen assigned Pritilata to lead the attack on the club Sep 24, 1932. The attack was successful but Pritilata, dressed as a man, got trapped just in front of the present-day Pahartali Railway School, a few yards off the club.
Pritilata then committed suicide by swallowing cyanide to avoid being arrested by the British.
Bangladesh is observing Pritilata’s birth centenary Thursday. Various organisations such as the Pritilata Trust, Chittagong Samity and daily newspaper Bhorer Kagoj jointly organized a discussion, New Age said.