.
On this fateful day Master was arrested from his shelter in Dacca and killed by
the night. After that his body was thrown in Pabna district (where he was a
popular leader) saying that he was killed in cross-fire.
He was such a popular
leader from Pabna district that thousands came to attend his funeral — not only
progressives, but people from all walks of life.
Com. Kamrul Master
joined the revolutionary movement in the late 1960s while he was a student. He
hailed from a village near the Pabna district headquarters (170 kms from Dacca)
in Division Rajshahi of North Bangladesh. Pabna district Is know to be a
traditional base of the left movement in the country. He was 59 years old at the
time of his martyrdom.
In the then
China-Russia Great Debate he sided with the Maoists and joined the then EPCP(M-L)
— East Pakistan Communist Party(M-L) — and later the CPEB(ML). He was a good
student and did a diploma in engineering. He participated in the liberation
movement of 1971 against Pakistan. After the liberation he participated in the
uprising led by the CPEB(ML). When this failed and the movement received a
set-back he was caught and jailed. He served a sentence for a about seven years
and was released in the general amnesty in 1977.
After the setback the
Party was badly scattered and in disarray. When he came out of jail he returned
to his village and set up a high school and simultaneously began efforts to re-organise
the CPEB(ML). Since then he has come to be know as "Master". In Pabna district
the party was revived by him. As the struggle in his district intensified he
once again went underground and led the movement towards building the armed
struggle. In 2000 the CPEB(ML) once again split and he joined the major faction
— the CPEB (M-L)(Red Flag). He was one of its most senior leaders and played a
major role in trying to advance the people’s war in the country. He was also one
of the leading comrades to try and unite the various Maoist factions in the
country. He had in fact just initiated unity talks with the PBSP-CC. Lately he
also played a major role in the writing of the summation of the 35-years
experience of the CPEB(ML).
Com. Kamrul Master
was an invaluable leader of the Bangladeshi revolution. It has suffered a major
loss with his martyrdom. He is survived by his wife, who was with him at the
time of his arrest, and an eight-year old daughter.
People’s March pays
red homage to this invaluable leader of the Maoist movement in Bangladesh; and
sends condolences to his family and all his comrades. We are sure the Maoists of
Bangladesh will recover from this great loss and intensify the people’s war in
the country. Once again red salutes to com. Kamrul Master
