About 41 Bengali revolutionaries have sung the song of victory on the gallows. We know about many of them, but the story of the revolutionary Asitaranjan Bhattacharya is still sinking into the depths of oblivion. Even though he is forgotten today, his bust is still there in one or two places. Perhaps because of these statues of him, many people know about him that there was a martyr named Asitaranjan Bhattacharya. Who wanted to snatch the motherland of India from the oppression of the British. He wanted to build an independent homeland.

On April 4, 1915, Asitaranjan Bhattacharya was born in Srihatta, Comilla district, Brahmanbaria subdivision. His father's name was Kshirod Ranjan Bhattacharya. He studied at Comilla Victoria College. He was a 2nd year student of the science department of that college. While studying in college, he came in contact with the Anushilan Samiti. He knew that independence would not come like that, to bring independence, armed struggle was needed. That is why he joined the armed revolutionary group.

At the age of about 17-18, Asit came into contact with the revolutionary Birajmohan Deb in Kurigram. There were secret hideouts of the revolutionaries in Kasba and Kurigram, and Asitranjan kept in touch with that hideout. At that time, the struggle of the revolutionaries had become a blood-stained chapter. At that time, the sound of the revolutionaries' revolvers and bombs in Bengal had shaken the British Empire. Magistrate Stevenson of Comilla fell under the bullets of Shanti Ghosh and Suniti Chowdhury. A massive arrest and capture began, and the revolutionaries then took refuge in various secret centers.

Suddenly one day, the police arrested three revolutionaries from their secret hideout. But whoever informed the police about the revolutionaries, they wanted the death of that traitor.

On November 20, 1932, revolutionary Birajmohan Deb and Dhirendra Chakraborty tried to shoot and kill a spy in the dark of night. But the spy survived. Although Birajmohan managed to escape from the scene, Dhirendra Chakraborty was caught. He was sentenced to ten years of exile in the trial. Birajmohan fled to Sylhet and Comilla. There, Asit Bhattacharya and Birajmohan kept in touch with various revolutionary organizations.

At that time, most of the revolutionaries were in jail, and all the responsibilities fell on the shoulders of Birajmohan. But there was only one problem, and that problem was money. If we want to achieve independence through armed revolution, we need ammunition and money. But how will these things come? So Asit Bhattacharya and Birajmohan became very interested in this matter. For this, Asit and Birajmohan Deb sat in discussion with Pramod Das, a prominent revolutionary leader of the party. So they decided to use the government's wealth and the money looted by the moneylenders for the country's benefit.

Now six revolutionaries were formed, Asitaranjan Bhattacharya was accompanied by revolutionaries Birajmohan Deb, Vidyadhar Saha, Gourmohan Das, Manmohan Saha and Mahesh Roy. The day was March 13, 1933, the clock struck exactly 5:30 in the afternoon. All of them were between 16 and 20 years old. That day was the day of the Dola, the revolutionaries seized the opportunity and started running after snatching money from the mail van at Itakhola station. After completing the work without any problems, they ran away from the station and went far away.

After going a little further, the revolutionaries saw the mountains and realized that they had lost their way. So they turned back again in search of the right path. But they had made a big mistake, by then the whole region was in chaos. The police have started searching for the revolutionaries.

At that time, there were several factories in Itakhola. Since it was a holiday for the people, all the people came out to play colors. Seeing the revolutionaries, people thought they were robbers and came forward to catch them. The revolutionaries tried to convince them, -- We are not robbers, this money has been taken for the country's work. Who listens to whom, greedy for rewards, they did not listen to anything the revolutionaries said. Instead, they were throwing bricks and stones at their compatriots.

The revolutionaries started running again, after going a little far, they saw that the road ahead was blocked. A large pond was being dug. The workers there, hearing the commotion, were running towards them with spades and shovels. A group of people behind and a group in front, the escape route was blocked. So they decided that they should not all stay together, but escape in separate ways.

At this time, a passerby threw a stone at Asit Bhattacharya, which was stuck in the ground with Asit's foot. Somehow Asit turned back and immediately shot at the man. The man fell to the ground. Asit had to be caught there with serious injuries.

To escape, Birajmohan Debo fired, several people were injured. But he too was caught, along with Vidyadhar Saha and Gourmohan Das. The remaining two, Manmohan Saha and Mahesh Roy, managed to escape.

Now it's the turn of trial, on 22nd July 1933, the trial started that day inside the Sylhet Jail, because the trial did not take place in the court due to the fear of Bheer. Since there was no fan inside the jail, the case was sent to the court later. So many people gathered to see the revolutionaries that day that a few days later the case was shifted to a new building in the Medical College.

The case began early in the morning to avoid the crowd. On the day of the verdict, George could not handle the crowd and sent the papers to the Calcutta High Court without giving the verdict. There was no High Court in Assam at that time. The final verdict was that Asit was sentenced to death, while Birajmohan Deb, Vidyadhar Saha and Gaurmohan Das were given life imprisonment.

The Sylhet Jail district magistrate had placed Birajmohan in the same cell where he had kept Asit, and given him a chance to speak for a while. But how could Birajmohan speak, his voice was getting choked when he tried to speak. Death traveler Asit looked bright and said in a steady voice, -- 'There is nothing for me to worry about. I came this way knowing death. You will come out of jail and start working again. Do not regret it for me.'

Finally, on July 2, 1934, the brave son of the Bengali mother ascended the gallows without any fear. On the gallows, he addressed the countrymen in a proud voice, - 'O friends of India, I am sacrificing myself fearlessly for freedom at the altar of the motherland, you too should be prepared for this -- Vande Mataram.'

Despite repeated requests, the body of the brave son of the Bengali mother was not given to his relatives. Bengalis have no faith. It is not convenient to hand over the bodies of those who can climb the gallows laughingly to their relatives. Thousands of others can be born from that one asit. Who will take so much pressure?

This is how the freedom-loving hero Asitaranjan Bhattacharya was lost on the gallows. It is very important to know one more thing, Asitaranjan Bhattacharya's grandfather Vidhubhushan Bhattacharya was an active member of Masterda Surya Sen's Indian Republican Army. He died like a hero after participating in the battle of Jalalabad hills on April 22, 1930. Perhaps the seeds of independence were sown in the mind of Asitaranjan Bhattacharya by seeing his grandfather.

As a memorial, there is a bust of Asitaranjan Bhattacharya in the Kolkata Deshpriya Park. There is another bust in Silchar's Gandhibag Park in Assam. The sacrifice of Asitaranjan Bhattacharya will be remembered by the people of India forever. The new generation will be awakened by hearing his story.