“যদি তোর ডাক শুনে কেউ না আসে তবে একলা চলো রে।”

(“If no one heeds your call, then walk alone.”)
— Rabindranath Tagore
In the annals of India’s revolutionary struggle, few names command the same reverence as Masterda Surya Sen, the fearless leader of the Chittagong Armoury Raid. Yet, behind every towering figure stands a loyal circle of comrades — unsung, unwavering, and often forgotten. One such name is Haripada Bhattacharya, Masterda’s trusted disciple, who walked the path of fire with quiet resolve and unmatched loyalty.
Haripada’s courage didn’t echo in headlines, but it burned just as fiercely in the underground cells, prison corridors, and whispered plans of rebellion. He stood firm in moments of grave danger, proving that revolution is as much about silent endurance as it is about heroic acts.
This post is a humble tribute to a name lost in the shadows of history — a reminder that our freedom was won not only by icons but by countless brave souls like Haripada Bhattacharya who stood tall, even when the world looked away.
In remembering him, we honour the sacred legacy of trust, sacrifice, and devotion that formed the spine of India’s freedom movement.

Haripada Bhattacharya

Haripada Bhattacharya (1914–1993)

Born 1914
Popadia, Boalkhali Upazila, Chittagong District, Bengal Presidency, British India

Died 30 October 1993
Siliguri, West Bengal, Independent India

Other names Hariprasad

Occupation(s) Revolutionary, political activist

Organization Jugantar

Known for Assassination of DSP Ahsanullah (1931), Chittagong armoury raid, torture & imprisonment in Cellular Jail

Movement Indian independence movement

Criminal charge Assassination

Criminal penalty Life imprisonment with hard labor

Criminal status Released in 1946

Spouse Bina Devi

Children 2 daughters

Haripada Bhattacharya (Bengali: হরিপদ ভট্টাচার্য) (1914 – October 30, 1993) was an Indian freedom fighter, remembered for his daring assassination of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Khan Bahadur Ashanullah Khan in Chittagong in 1931. As one of the youngest associates of Masterda Surya Sen, he played a bold role in the armed struggle against British rule. Born into a humble family, Haripada’s father, Ambika Bhattacharya, ran a small Sanskrit school. Denied the privilege of formal schooling, Haripada received his early education at home. At just 16 years of age, he carried out the audacious assassination of DSP Khan Bahadur Ashanullah—a marked target of the Indian Republican Army—during a football match at Nizam Paltan Ground, Chittagong, on 30 August 1931. Although severely beaten and arrested on the spot, he was spared the gallows due to his young age and was instead sentenced to life imprisonment in the Cellular Jail, Andamans.

In the notorious prison, Haripada joined the 1937 hunger strike, withstanding 37 days of intense suffering in protest against the inhuman conditions faced by political prisoners. He was repatriated in 1938, only to again take part in the 1939 hunger strike at Alipore Jail. After enduring 15 grueling years of incarceration, he was finally released in 1946. His family, too, bore the brunt of colonial vengeance—his parents were tortured, their home set ablaze—yet Haripada stood firm, never abandoning his ideals. His youthful defiance, unyielding courage, and sacrificial spirit symbolize the undaunted legacy of the Chittagong revolutionaries, who fearlessly rose against the might of the British Empire.

Early life and revolutionary involvement

Haripada Bhattacharya was born in 1914 in Popadia village of Boalkhali Upazila, located in the Chittagong District of British India (now in present-day Bangladesh). He belonged to a lower-middle-class Shakta Brahmin family rooted in religious tradition; his father, Ambika Bhattacharya, and mother, Satyabhama Devi, upheld the family’s ancestral profession of priesthood.

During the historic Chittagong Armoury Raid in April 1930, Haripada was a student of class eight at Saroatali High School. The thunderous call to arms issued by Masterda Surya Sen during this period of national awakening left a profound impact on the young boy’s mind. Stirred by the ideals of liberty and justice, Haripada soon joined the ranks of the Indian Republican Army—the underground revolutionary group inspired by the Irish Republican model and led by Surya Sen.

Despite his tender age, Haripada exhibited qualities of unwavering commitment, sharp discretion, and fearless determination. These attributes quickly earned him the trust of senior revolutionaries. He was frequently assigned crucial responsibilities—such as delivering confidential messages, conducting surveillance, and managing logistics—all vital to the functioning of the resistance. His youth often acted as a natural cover, allowing him to move undetected through colonial surveillance—a silent yet powerful contributor to the underground struggle for India’s freedom.

Atrocities of Khan Bahadur Ashanullah Khan

In the wake of the Chittagong Armoury Raid of 1930, the British colonial authorities launched a fierce crackdown to extinguish the growing revolutionary tide in the region. As part of this repressive strategy, Ashanullah Khan, a senior officer from the intelligence department in Barisal, was transferred to Chittagong and appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). Known for his ruthless efficiency in suppressing nationalist movements, he had been decorated with the colonial honorific "Khan Bahadur"—a token of imperial gratitude for his loyalty to British rule.

Upon his arrival in Chittagong, DSP Ashanullah Khan unleashed a reign of terror, primarily directed against the Hindu population, many of whom were suspected of supporting the revolutionary cause. With sweeping authority and the backing of military forces, he carried out mass arrests, looting, torture, and violent assaults across both urban neighborhoods and remote villages. Eyewitnesses and contemporary reports attest that women, children, and the elderly were not spared the wrath of the colonial crackdown.

One of the most harrowing incidents of this dark period involved Ambika Chakrabarty, a respected revolutionary suffering from tuberculosis. Following his arrest, Ashanullah reportedly kicked him in the chest and back, even as the ailing man bled from his throat. When Ambika begged for a sip of water, Ashanullah is said to have urinated on his face—a barbaric act so appalling that even some British officials expressed dismay. This grotesque display of cruelty ignited a fresh wave of outrage within the revolutionary ranks. In response, Masterda Surya Sen resolved to hold Ashanullah accountable, placing his name on a list of colonial agents marked for retribution.

Planning & preparations of the murder

To initiate surveillance on the dreaded colonial officer, Masterda Surya Sen entrusted young Haripada Bhattacharya—still an unknown figure to the British police—with the crucial task of infiltrating Chittagong city. He was aided by fellow revolutionary Pannalal Sen, who operated from Ramchandra Singh's soda water shop near Laldighi, an inconspicuous front used by the underground network. From this vantage point, they meticulously tracked the movements of DSP Ashanullah Khan. They observed that his residence was heavily guarded, and he traveled with four armed bodyguards. Intelligence gathered revealed two daily habits: afternoon visits to football matches, and nightly excursions to a brothel in Riyazuddin Bazaar.

Surya Sen soon identified the football ground as the most viable location for an execution, given the relative exposure it offered. Initially, he sent a team comprising Binod Behari Dutta, Shaileshwar Chakraborty, Sushil Dey, and Haripada to carry out the task. Yet, fate intervened—Ashanullah's absence on several occasions and poor weather conditions forced repeated postponements.

Realizing that the presence of known revolutionaries in a city swarming with colonial intelligence agents posed serious risks, Haripada Bhattacharya volunteered to complete the mission alone. His clean record and lack of police suspicion made him the ideal operative. After deep deliberation, Masterda accepted Haripada’s courageous offer.

On the night of 27 August 1931, Haripada slept beside his mother, fully aware that this might be their final night together. The following morning, he offered heartfelt prayers at a Kali temple, invoking divine strength for his mission and the resolve to endure torture if captured. He then met Masterda and senior revolutionaries Nirmal Sen, Saroj Kanti Guha, and Tarakeswar Dastidar at a secret hideout. Saroj Guha, who had trained him, handed him a Webley revolver, and Nirmal Sen strapped a belt around his waist. The gravity of the moment silenced the room. With a crisp, solemn salute to Masterda, Haripada quietly stepped into history.

At 3 a.m., Haripada and Nirmal Sen (junior) crossed the Karnaphuli River in a small boat. As the oars sliced through the dark waters, the two spoke softly, reminiscing about their shared revolutionary days. After landing, Nirmal guided Haripada to the residence of Balai Acharya, a trusted comrade from their native village of Popadia. There, with a quiet goodbye, Nirmal departed.

Later that afternoon, around 3:00 PM, Haripada left the house in disguise—dressed in tattered, grimy clothes, his revolver carefully concealed at his waist.

On 29 August 1931, Haripada attempted to approach Ashanullah during a football match at the Pahartali Ground, but the target was too well-protected. Undeterred, he made his way to Riyazuddin Bazaar, where he sought shelter in the home of a compassionate local woman. Claiming to be a runaway village youth, Haripada was given food and a place to rest. Ironically, that same night, Ashanullah reportedly visited the very same house, but Haripada, exhausted from days of planning and hiding, missed the opportunity.

Successful assassination of Khan Bahadur Ashanulla

On 30 August 1931, the atmosphere in Pahartali Football Ground in Chittagong was electric. The final match of the Railway Cup tournament was about to begin—a much-anticipated face-off between the Town Club, patronized by none other than Khan Bahadur Ashanullah, and the Kohinoor team. Thousands had gathered to witness the spectacle, unaware that history was about to be made—not with a goal, but with a gunshot.

Ashanullah, an avid supporter of the sport and a symbol of colonial tyranny, arrived at the venue with his full entourage—armed guards, loyalists, and a circle of admirers. As the match progressed and Town Club emerged victorious, the crowd erupted in cheers. Amidst this jubilant celebration, Ashanullah stepped forward to receive the winner’s trophy in his capacity as the club’s president. Shaking hands with players and exchanging smiles, he stood proudly at the center of the field, basking in public adoration.

But destiny had taken its place in the crowd.

Through the sea of villagers and spectators came a young man in soiled, modest clothes, his face calm but determined—Haripada Bhattacharya, moving like a shadow toward his mark. The moment had come. As Ashanullah stood beaming, Haripada reached striking distance, and in a flash, drew the Webley Revolver hidden at his waist. Three gunshots cracked through the air—each one deliberate, each one carrying the fury of a subjugated nation. One bullet struck Ashanullah directly in the heart.

The dreaded officer collapsed face-down onto the field, blood gushing from his back as pandemonium erupted around him. Spectators screamed. Players scattered. The cheering turned into chaos.

Haripada's arrest

After firing the fatal shots, Haripada Bhattacharya paused momentarily, ensuring that Khan Bahadur Ashanullah had fallen. The celebratory crowd had erupted into chaos, scattering in every direction. With the field suddenly exposed, Haripada stood visible—alone and vulnerable. Realizing the peril, he broke into a sprint, racing across the open ground as Ashanullah’s armed bodyguards gave chase.

Haripada turned and fired three more shots at his pursuers, but in the rush and confusion, all missed their mark. Among those now closing in on him was Sub-Inspector Siddique Dewan, dressed in sports attire, blending into the crowd before joining the pursuit. A well-aimed blow from a lathi struck Haripada violently on the head. He collapsed unconscious on the very battlefield that had just witnessed an act of revolutionary defiance.

Bloodied and bruised, Haripada’s limp body was dragged through the mud, then transported to the local police station, still unconscious. When he regained partial awareness, he found himself in the clutches of brutality far worse than he had imagined. Under the command of Additional Superintendent of Police Mr. Jacob Shooter, he was subjected to relentless torture. Shooter, speaking in broken Bengali, interrogated him while merciless beatings continued. Eyewitnesses later recounted that Haripada was assaulted even before leaving the field, and the violence only escalated behind prison walls. Every blow was meant to break him—but he remained unyielding.

Impact

The assassination of DSP Khan Bahadur Ashanullah, a key pillar of the British colonial security apparatus, stunned the British Raj. In response, the government unleashed a wave of repression across Chittagong. Mass arrests, military raids, and indiscriminate violence followed, particularly against the Hindu population, whom the authorities accused of harboring nationalist sympathies. Villages were searched, homes ransacked, and families brutalized.

Yet even in the face of this terror, Haripada Bhattacharya’s audacious act became a beacon of resistance. Among fellow revolutionaries, he was hailed as a heroic martyr, a youth who dared to take on an empire. While his action invited one of the harshest colonial crackdowns Bengal had ever witnessed, it also lit the fire of rebellion and remembrance, inspiring a generation to fight on.

Torture

Following the assassination of Khan Bahadur Ashanullah on 30 August 1931, Haripada Bhattacharya was captured on the field—unconscious, bloodied, and barely breathing from the blow to his head. What followed was not just interrogation, but one of the most savage episodes of custodial torture and collective punishment ever recorded in colonial Bengal.

Once in British custody, Haripada became the target of inhuman brutality, designed not just to extract information, but to break his spirit. Acting under the direction of senior officers, British police carried out systematic torture. According to eyewitness accounts and oral histories, the methods used included:

Electric shocks administered to his head and limbs
Cigarette burns inflicted across his body
Repeated beatings on his genitals with sticks
Hot eggs forcibly inserted into his rectum
After enduring these tortures, he was left in a semi-conscious state, then paraded through the streets of Chittagong in a police jeep by Superintendent Jacob Shooter and Sub-Inspector Siddiqui Dewan, as a warning to others

Despite the barbarity of the treatment he received, Haripada did not betray a single comrade. He gave up no names, no locations, no secrets. His silence, in the face of excruciating pain, became an act of defiance more powerful than any weapon. It was the silent roar of a true revolutionary, who chose sacrifice over surrender.

Military repression at Saroatali

On the morning of 31 August 1931, a day after the assassination that shook the colonial establishment, Haripada Bhattacharya—still battered and semi-conscious—was transported under heavy military escort. Nearly 400 armed personnel accompanied him as he was taken to Saroatali High School, the very institution where he had once studied as a boy. The intent was clear: this was not an investigation, but a public display of terror.

At Saroatali, the entire school compound was sealed off by armed units. Inside the teachers’ common room, eight to ten teachers sat in uneasy silence as a military detachment dragged in Haripada—his face grotesquely swollen, streaked with dried blood, and barely recognizable. A commanding officer barked, “Do you recognize this student—Haripada Bhattacharya?”

There was a long pause. The teachers stared at the broken figure before them. Finally, Suresh Lal, one of the faculty members, quietly replied, “No.” In response, a soldier struck him savagely on the head with a rifle butt. When Headmaster Jatindramohan Dastidar stood up in protest, demanding that the violence cease, he was beaten unconscious by multiple soldiers, his blood soaking the floor of the room he had once presided over.

Then came the most horrifying chapter.

Without warning, soldiers stormed the classrooms, turning on the children with sticks and rifle butts. Students screamed as they were beaten indiscriminately—arms fractured, heads bloodied, legs shattered. The classrooms became war zones. Some children collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain; others lay bleeding in stunned silence, too injured to move or cry out.

This brutal assault was not an accident—it was a calculated act of collective punishment, designed to send a message: revolution would be met with terror. The British Empire had chosen to strike fear into the hearts of villagers by spilling the blood of innocent schoolchildren.

But in doing so, they only deepened the anger, hardened the resolve, and immortalized the cause for which Haripada had dared to fight.

Atrocities on Haripada's family

That same afternoon, Haripada Bhattacharya—barely able to stand—was marched by troops to his ancestral home in Popadia village, escorted by a cordon of armed soldiers. Word had spread, and a crowd of shocked and fearful villagers gathered in silence, watching as the forces of the empire descended upon the home of one of their own. What followed was a deliberate spectacle of terror, intended to crush both family and village spirit.

Once there, a group of officers stormed into the Bhattacharya household, dragging out Haripada’s brothers, beating them mercilessly, and throwing them out onto the dirt. Satyabhama Devi, Haripada’s mother, was dragged by her hair to a nearby betel nut grove, her cries echoing across the fields. Ambika Bhattacharya, his father, was subjected to the same inhumanity. Both parents were then tied to betel nut trees, bound with coarse ropes like criminals—humiliated before their neighbors and their gods.

Still semi-conscious, Haripada was forced to stand before this gruesome tableau. His swollen face and battered frame stood in stark contrast to the serene grove where he had once played as a child. His parents, stunned and disoriented, had no understanding of the accusations against their son. They stared at him—in silent disbelief, caught between anguish and incomprehension.

The officers, seeking confessions or just submission, shouted questions. The parents’ continued silence was met with merciless blows. Both fell unconscious, their broken bodies slumped at the foot of the trees. Haripada too was savagely beaten once again, collapsing before his parents as villagers looked on, horrified but helpless.

The violence did not stop there.

His siblings were hunted down, brutally assaulted, and thrown from their own home like criminals. And then, in a final act of vengeance, the soldiers poured petrol on the Bhattacharya home—a humble dwelling built on faith and sacrifice—and set it ablaze. The flames consumed everything: memories, belongings, and a family's legacy, now reduced to smoke and ash under the gaze of empire.

Return to the temporary military camp

With Haripada in custody, the troops returned to Saroatali School, which had been turned into a temporary military outpost. It was late at night. Still reeling from the brutal torture, Haripada was denied food. Four Gurkha soldiers were assigned to guard him. One of them, moved by compassion, quietly placed a bowl of rice and meat beside him and whispered, “Child, eat quickly. If anyone sees, we’ll lose our jobs.”

Tears welled up in Haripada’s eyes. Another sepoy gently added, “Don’t cry. Eat. You’ll need strength.” But forty-eight hours of starvation and injuries had taken their toll—he was too weak to chew. Summoning his last bit of strength, he mixed the rice with the meat broth and slowly swallowed a few spoonfuls—his first food since the day of his arrest.

Trial and sentencing

The day after his public torture in Popadiya, the British military paraded Haripada Bhattacharya in chains through the bustling Saroatali village market. In a deliberate attempt to humiliate him, an officer ordered, "Long live the British government! Down with Surya Sen!"

But before the stunned villagers, Haripada, frail yet resolute, roared back, "Long live Masterda! Down with the British Empire!" The response infuriated the soldiers. They launched into a brutal assault, beating him unconscious in front of thousands as his battered frame crumpled under the blows.

On the third day of his captivity, the army split into three mobile units, one of which carried Haripada along. As they marched from village to village, the soldiers unleashed a wave of retaliation. Dozens of villagers were mercilessly beaten, and in full view of Haripada, fifty to sixty homes were set on fire, spreading terror across the countryside.

After four or five days of such movement, Haripada was finally shifted from Saroatali to Chittagong city, still untreated. His wounds had worsened—festering with infection and oozing pus. It was only after rising public anger and media attention that the authorities allowed him minimal medical care.

Shortly thereafter, Haripada was brought to court for trial. Among those present were his father, elder brother, and several close relatives. The courtroom fell silent at the sight of him—emaciated, bruised, and barely able to remain standing. Presiding over the proceedings was Sukumar Ghose, I.C.S., with the case heard before a special jury.

When asked whether he had any legal representation, Haripada stood with dignity and declared, "My punishment was decided long before this trial. No lawyer's grand arguments will change the outcome. My family is destitute, and my relatives are poor. I will defend myself." His words stunned the courtroom. At that moment, a patriotic barrister, Annadacharan Dutta, rose from the audience and addressed the bench: "Your Honour, I will defend this case. I request the court's permission to speak with the accused." The magistrate granted the request. Approaching Haripada, Dutta whispered: "A few of us lawyers have decided to fight your case. There will be no fee. If you refuse, it will dishonour us." Deeply moved, Haripada's father clasped his hands in prayer, whispering thanks to the divine.

Despite the spirited defence, Haripada's age—he was barely 17—played a significant role in the final judgment. The High Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment with hard labour, citing his youth and the political nature of his act.

Reactions and inquiry

The assassination of Ashanullah and the violent British reprisals triggered widespread outrage. Notably, Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, a prominent barrister and nationalist leader, formed an independent inquiry committee in Calcutta. The committee, which included Barrister Nishith Sen and five others, visited Chittagong, gathered testimonies, and investigated the arson, beatings, and communal violence.

At a mass public meeting held at Town Hall, Calcutta, on 13 September 1931, Jatindra Mohan Sengupta strongly condemned the colonial administration’s role in fomenting the communal disturbances that followed the assassination of Ashanullah. A resolution passed at the meeting declared:

“The tragic events in Chittagong on August 30 and the following days were not due to Hindu-Muslim conflict but rather orchestrated by government agents, European police officials, and partisan newspapers, particularly certain Anglo-Indian publications.”

The resolution sharply criticized the Bengal Government for its failure to initiate an impartial inquiry and denounced the deliberate communal provocation by colonial authorities.

In a later personal account titled Tyrant DSP Ashanullah, Haripada recalled that Rabindranath Tagore had expressed solidarity by sending a poem and ₹200 to Haripada’s father as a gesture of support.

Parliamentary debate and ASP Souter's suicide

The incident echoed beyond Indian shores, reaching the floor of the British Parliament, where Major Graham Pole questioned the Secretary of State for India, Sir Samuel Hoare, regarding the widespread loss of life and property in the aftermath of the Chittagong violence. In response, Hoare admitted that curfew measures had been imposed, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code enforced, and a Peace Committee established. He further stated that an official inquiry was being conducted, led by the Commissioner of Chittagong Division, with the Inspector-General of Police assisting. The inquiry's mandate included a review of the conduct of British officials and police, alongside the extensive destruction of property and incidents of looting.

Among the most notorious figures in the wave of repression that followed was Assistant Superintendent of Police Jacob Shooter, who allegedly directed brutal retaliatory actions across Chittagong and personally oversaw the torture of Haripada. However, amid rising political pressure, widespread public outrage, and official scrutiny, Shooter took his own life on 23 January 1932, an act that underlined the moral bankruptcy of the colonial response.

Post-independence life

After his release from the Cellular Jail in 1947, Haripada Bhattacharya returned to a newly independent India, having sacrificed the prime of his youth behind bars. Only sixteen years old at the time of his sentencing, he had been condemned to transportation for life for the assassination of Khan Bahadur Ashanullah, and spent seventeen long years imprisoned—first in the Andaman Cellular Jail, and later in various mainland prisons. Notably, Haripada never submitted a mercy petition throughout his incarceration, refusing to seek clemency from the colonial regime. His release ultimately came as part of Gandhiji’s general amnesty for political prisoners in 1946, a recognition of the sacrifices made by India’s revolutionaries in the struggle for freedom.

***Haripada Bhattacharya while in police captivity***

While in prison, Haripada Bhattacharya was deeply influenced by leftist literature and revolutionary socialist thought. Upon his release, he aligned himself with communist ideals and formally joined the Communist Party of India (CPI). He became actively engaged in organizational and party work, settling in Kolkata, where he worked closely with prominent communist leaders such as Promode Dasgupta, Kamakhya Ghosh, and Ganesh Ghosh. The trio, all former revolutionaries, shared both ideological commitments and living quarters at the Saraswati Press—a hub for underground political activity in post-independence Bengal. Around 1949, at the urging of his family, Haripada married Bina Devi, even though his younger brother had married earlier, an unusual sequence in traditional households.

However, the Sino-Indian War of 1962 proved to be a watershed moment. Sharp ideological fissures emerged within the left, leading Haripada Bhattacharya, along with Ganesh Ghosh and Ananta Singh, to resign from the CPI. While Ganesh Ghosh would eventually join the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Haripada and Ananta Singh withdrew from active party politics altogether. Haripada eventually settled in Siliguri, where he lived a quiet life for the next four decades, remaining a respected figure among former comrades and admirers of the freedom movement.

Life in Siliguri

Life in Siliguri was marked by poverty and neglect for Haripada Bhattacharya. He took up brief employment with a small local organization, while his wife, Bina Devi, supported the household by working first as a primary school teacher and later as an employee of the Siliguri Municipal Office. The couple, along with their two daughters, resided in a modest 10-by-11-foot rented room in Deshbandhu Nagar, surviving on a meagre income. Though a freedom fighter's pension was eventually granted by the government, it was inconsistently disbursed, sometimes suspended without notice, plunging the family into repeated financial distress.

In 1972, during the Silver Jubilee of Indian Independence, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi formally acknowledged Bhattacharya's contribution to the freedom struggle at a state ceremony in New Delhi. His role in the Chittagong resistance also earned him official recognition from the Government of Bangladesh, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in honour of his defiance of British repression.

Yet, despite such honours, no substantial assistance was extended by the West Bengal state government during his final years. Stricken with cancer, Bhattacharya received no institutional or financial support for treatment. He passed away on 30 November 1993, quietly and without fanfare, in his small Siliguri residence in Deshbandhu Nagar.

Interview with Arup Roy

In February 1985, Haripada Bhattacharya was interviewed by essayist and historian Arup Roy at the Kolkata residence of fellow revolutionary Ganesh Ghosh. Roy described Bhattacharya as a gentle and soft-spoken man, whose composed presence masked the firebrand past of a revolutionary who had once stood alone against the might of the British Empire.

Bhattacharya began by narrating the arrival of DSP Ashanulla in Chittagong, dispatched from Barisal after the 1930 uprising. Bestowed with unchecked powers and the colonial honorific “Khan Bahadur,” Ashanulla's mission was, in Bhattacharya’s words, “to terrorize the people into submission.” He recounted, “He once picked up me and ten others from the street, beat us all day demanding, ‘Where is Surya Sen?’ and released us at dusk, bruised and hungry.”

Among the most tragic memories he recalled was the killing of a young girl named Parul, who had been singing Nazrul’s "Durgam Giri Kantar Maru". Enraged by the revolutionary song, Ashanulla allegedly raided her home, vandalized their belongings, assaulted the family, and ultimately killed the child.

Bhattacharya also spoke of the merciless torture inflicted upon Ambika Chakrabarty, describing how Ashanulla kicked the ailing revolutionary so hard that his ribs fractured. “When Ambika asked for water,” Bhattacharya recalled, “Ashanulla urinated on his face—right in front of all of us. I could not sleep after that. I resolved that he had to be stopped.”

Driven by this resolve, Haripada tracked Ashanulla for weeks, selecting the Pahartali football ground as the site of retribution. On August 30, 1931, disguised as a poor Muslim villager and armed with a concealed .445-bore revolver, he infiltrated the crowd during a final match between Town Club and a local team.

“Ashanulla came forward to accept the trophy, overjoyed with his team's victory,” Bhattacharya remembered. “That was my moment. I stepped in and fired three shots at his chest. He collapsed instantly.”

Immediately after the assassination, Bhattacharya was captured, brutally beaten, and subjected to night-long torture in police custody. By morning, under Mr. Shooter’s orders, he was paraded in chains through public areas—markets, schools, and his own village—intended as a grim warning to others.

At Saroatali High School, when teachers could not recognize his swollen face, Headmaster Jatindra Mohan Dastidar was beaten unconscious. Students were assaulted with rifle butts, leaving many seriously injured. The Panjanya newspaper office was vandalized, and its manager left half-dead.

The crackdown intensified at Bhattacharya’s home in Popadia village, where his parents were tied to betel nut trees and beaten unconscious. His siblings were attacked, and the family house was burned to the ground. But amid the horror, Bhattacharya’s spirit remained unshaken:

“The people of Chittagong did not break. They stood with us till the end.”

Bhattacharya’s trial was overseen by Sukumar Sen, I.C.S., with a special jury. Although initially acquitted, the District Judge appealed, and the Calcutta High Court reversed the verdict, sentencing him to life imprisonment with hard labour. He was designated prisoner number 12 and sent to the infamous Cellular Jail in the Andamans.

His incarceration spanned several prisons:

Chittagong Jail (Nov 1930 – Jan 1931)
Midnapore Central Jail (Jan 1931 – Aug 1932)
Andaman Cellular Jail (Aug 1932 – 1938)
Alipore Central Jail (1938 – 1942)
Dhaka Central Jail (1942 – Jan 1946)

At the close of the interview, Bhattacharya recalled that Deshapriya Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, Nripendra Banerjee, and others had traveled to Chittagong to investigate Mr. Shooter’s atrocities, later raising the matter in the British Parliament. Facing imminent disciplinary proceedings and mounting political pressure, Shooter committed suicide before he could be tried.

Bhattacharya also revealed that Rabindranath Tagore had written a letter of condolence to his father, along with a donation of ₹200—a profound gesture of solidarity from the great poet.

After his release in 1946, Haripada settled in Siliguri, dedicating himself to public service. He played a vital role in building schools, roads, bridges, and erecting statues in memory of his revered leader, Masterda Surya Sen.

His last known address was:
12, Lenin Sarani, Deshbandhu Para, Siliguri, Darjeeling.

He passed away on October 30, 1993, largely forgotten by the nation he once fought to free. Arup Roy concluded his memoir with a fitting tribute:

“I offer my humble homage to the forgotten revolutionary, Haripada Bhattacharya—a name that deserves to live on in the pages of history.”

Legacy

Haripada Bhattacharya is remembered as one of the youngest and most courageous revolutionaries associated with the Chittagong uprising. His assassination of Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Khan on 30 August 1931 was a bold act of resistance against British colonial repression. The attack, carried out in broad daylight at the Pahartali football ground amid heavy security presence, demonstrated exceptional resolve. Only sixteen years old at the time, Bhattacharya meticulously planned and executed the operation.

Following his arrest, Haripada was subjected to severe custodial torture, including beatings, electric shocks, forced starvation, and public humiliation. British authorities used him as an example to intimidate others—he was paraded through schools and marketplaces; his ancestral home was burned; and his family members were beaten. Despite the pressure, he did not yield. His stoicism in the face of brutal repression became a symbol of the unyielding spirit of India's revolutionary youth.

He spent fourteen years in prison, much of it in the Cellular Jail in the Andamans, enduring solitary confinement and forced labour. He was released in 1946, under the general amnesty for political prisoners. Despite his sacrifices, Bhattacharya lived in relative obscurity in Siliguri, receiving little support from the post-independence state.

In his later years, Haripada reportedly said, "I've lived long enough. I shot three bullets at Ahsanullah. If there had been one more, I would have killed myself." Reflecting on the assassination, he often cited the advice of his mentor, Saroj Kanti Guha: "First isolate the target. In this world, it's just you and your target."

In 2010, Haripada’s role in India’s freedom struggle gained renewed attention through the Hindi film Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and based on Manini Chatterjee’s book Do and Die: The Chittagong Uprising 1930–34. Actor Amin Gazi portrayed Haripada Bhattacharya in the film, offering a rare cinematic tribute to his courage.

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Bibliography

Hemendranath Dasgupta, Bharater Biplab Kahini, II & III, Calcutta, 1948;
Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, History of the Freedom Movement in India, III, Calcutta 1963;
Surya Sener Sonali Swapna by Rupmoy Paul.
Chattogram Yuba Bidroha by Ananta Singh
Chattogram Biplaber Banhishikha by Shachindranath Guha.
Bharate Santrasbad by Nanda Mukhopadhyay

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