Mr Ouderland’s Letter

Dear Mr Faridi

Thank you for your letter of January 24, 1997 advising your effort to

gather and preserve for the future generations of Bangladesh,

relevant and vital information and facts about the struggle of the Bengali

people for Freedom and independence commencing in 1971.

As one who was intimately involved in this struggle. I am writing to

give you the information you requested. Firstly concerning my self

and then to share with you some recollections of the 1971 struggle.

I was born on December 1917 in Amsterdam. Holland while Europe was

in the grip of the third year of the First World War. I was

conscripted for National service in 1936 shortly after I had commenced my employment with the Bata Shoe Company. Shortly before my mother land was

invaded by Germany, I was called up to serve as a sergeant in the Dutch Royal

Signals Corp. IN the face of the might of Adolf Hitlar's German Junta,

equipped with sophisticated Tank and other massive weapons my platoon

of 36 men then were simply armed with short rifles and twelve rounds of

ammunitions each. As we went out to face this enemy, flying overhead

was the huge fleet of Germen warplanes headed for Rotterdam where, in the

space of half an hour, 30,000 innocent Dutch citizen died as result of their

massive air attack. Following this blitzkrieg of Rotterdam the germen Junta

issued and ultimatum to the other cities of Holland, Belgium and France.

Within week the Dutch, Belgium and the France people were under the

domination of Germen Junta.

Having escape form the POW camp after short internment, I joined the

Dutch underground assistance movement. As I spoke fluent Germen and

several Dutch dialects. I befriended the germen high command and was

thus able to help the Dutch underground movement as well as the allied

forces with the vital information. Therefore, when the even of March 1971

started with Tanks of Pakistani forces rolling in to Dhaka, I was reliving my

experience of my younger days in Europe. I could fully appreciate

and predicament of the Bengali people and this motivated me to spring in

to action on their behalf. As a result of indiscriminate and cruel actions of this invading

Pakistani Junta, thousands of Bangali died in the ensuing week.

I felt that some one had made the world aware of what was happening since

I was able to move freely. I was able to photograph the atrocities committed by

Pakistanis against the innocent people which including young children. I was

able to pass these photos to the world press to high light the plight of the

Bengali people.

Deeply touched and move by the almost unbearable sufferings and atrocities I

witness of the cruel and oppressive occupying force. I secretly began Guerrilla movement

with the brave Bengalis at Bata Tongi and all around sectors 1 and 2. In addition, and as an

expatriate CEO of an international company, I had the company of the occupying Pakistani

high command. This enables me to help the Bengali freedom fighters. I trained and worked

with in relation to their Guerilla activities. All these action were taken as a result of my deep

love and affection I felt for the Bengali people.

There is much more I could say in details but it is near impossible

because I am now retired and almost blind.

I have enclosed an album of Photograph cataloguing the atrocities of

the occupying Pakistani army and the untold suffering of the Bengali

people. Also include are photos of some of the brave freedom fighters

whom I consider as my sons.

I hope this will be some help to your worth while endeavour and I

wish you every success.

Your sincerely

W. A S Ouderland

Perth, Australia

22 February 1997

Note:

This letter was send by Mr Ouderland to one of our freedom fighters Mr

Faridi in 1997 and later it was publish in a magazine in Sweden along

with Photograph.

Courtesy: banglaweb.com