Habiganj, Sylhet
A memorial in the Teliapara tea estate where senior Bengali officers met on 4 April 1971 to plan the Liberation War.
In the first weeks of the Liberation War, Teliapara tea estate, close to the Indian border, became a headquarters for Bengali soldiers who had rebelled against the Pakistan army. On 4 April 1971, senior Bengali officers, including M. A. G. Osmani, met at the estate manager’s bungalow and laid down the early plan for organising the resistance, which later grew into the sector system of the war.
A memorial now stands in the estate to mark the meeting, set among the tea bushes on the low hills. The bungalow itself is part of the working estate.
Teliapara is a short stop, but an important one in the story of 1971, and the tea garden around it is pleasant for a walk.
Turn off the highway into the Teliapara tea estate by CNG or car.
Spend some time at the memorial and read about the meeting of 4 April 1971.
Walk among the tea bushes on the low hills around the memorial.
Continue to Satchari National Park nearby, or rejoin the highway towards Sylhet.
Any time of year; especially meaningful around 26 March and 16 December
From Habiganj town, about an hour by CNG or car via Shaistaganj towards Madhabpur; the tea estate is close to the Dhaka–Sylhet highway and to Satchari, so the two are easily combined.
