On 22 April 1930, just days after the daring Chittagong Armory Raid, Masterda and his dedicated band of revolutionaries found themselves at the foot of Jalalabad Hill, approximately 5 miles from Chittagong city. Their mission: to scale this formidable hill in the face of imminent danger.
As they began their ascent, under the unwavering leadership of Masterda, a train came to a halt near the Jharjharia mosque along the Chittagong Nazirhat branch railway line at 4 p.m. From this train emerged the armed forces of Eastern Frontier Rifles and Surma Valley Light Infantry. These troops ly set their course for Jalalabad Hill, where machine guns had been strategically placed atop neighbouring high peaks.
Meanwhile, under the strategic direction of Loknath Bal, the revolutionary forces were strategically divided into eight units, surrounding the hill on all sides. As the British army advanced up the hill, tension hung thick in the air. The young revolutionaries anxiously awaited the leadership's command – "volley fire."
The battle erupted with a fierce exchange of gunfire. The youthful warriors of the 'Indian Republic Army' capitalized on the cover of the trees above, systematically felling British soldiers at the base of the hill. Initially astonished by their audacity, the British soldiers soon responded with their own volleys in an attempt to save their lives. Tragically, Harigopal Ball, alias Tegra, Loknath Ball's brother, fell victim to the hail of bullets, as did one of the group's youngest members.
As the rifles began to malfunction from repeated firing, Nirmal Sen and Masterda took it upon themselves to clean and repair them, ensuring they were returned to the fighters in working order.
Machine gun fire relentlessly poured in from the flanking hills, resulting in the loss of NirmalLala, Naresh Roy, Vidhu Bhattacharya, Jiten Dasgupta, Tripura Sen, Pulin Ghosh, Shashank Dutta, Madhu Dutta, and Moti Kanungo, one by one. As night fell, the British army unexpectedly withdrew from the battle, boarding a train. They feared further attacks by revolutionaries from surrounding hills in the darkness of night would decimate their ranks.
In the somber after, the martyrs' lifeless bodies were solemnly gathered, and Masterda, with heartfelt compassion, checked each for signs of life, offering a military salute before declaring, "Let's go now, everyone." With unwavering resolve, he did not look back. The decision was made to descend the hill that very night.
The following morning, the army returned, firing upon Jalalabad Hill but received no response. Upon reaching the hill's summit, flanked by Indian police, they discovered only lifeless bodies. These were collected and taken down, but the British government never officially disclosed the exact number of casualties.
Later, during the prosecution of Ganesh Ghosh, Loknath Ball, and Anand Gupta, Calcutta Police Commissioner Charles Taggart alleged that 64 British soldiers had perished at their hands, while 12 revolutionaries lost their lives.
On that fateful night of 22 April, the revolutionaries descended from Jalalabad Hill and resumed their march, their hunger and thirst serving as a stark reminder of the harsh realities of their mission. They were forced to abandon their refuge on the hill, as their location had been compromised by the enemy. In the daylight, they sought shelter in the nearby mountains and scoured the neighbouring villages for sustenance.
Source: Anaya Chatterjee, Contributor for CCRT