Freedom War Bullet Removed After Fifty-Five Years

A bullet fired by Pakistani occupation forces during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War has finally been removed from the body of an elderly survivor, bringing an end to more than five decades of physical suffering.

The remarkable operation was carried out on Saturday, 4 July, at Durgapur Upazila Health Complex in Netrokona, where a team of doctors successfully extracted the bullet from the abdomen of 75-year-old Monnas Ali. The surgery, which lasted around 30 minutes, was led by Resident Medical Officer Dr Tanjirul Islam Raihan. Hospital authorities said the procedure was successful and that the patient remains under medical observation while continuing to recover.

Monnas Ali, a resident of Hariaund village in Gaokandia Union under Durgapur Upazila, had lived with the embedded bullet since the Liberation War in 1971. According to family members and local residents, Pakistani military forces established a camp in Durgapur during the conflict. After a freedom fighter reportedly killed three Pakistani soldiers and buried their bodies in Gaokandia Union, the occupation forces launched brutal retaliatory attacks across nearby villages.

Witnesses and local accounts describe the reprisals as devastating. More than fifty villagers were allegedly locked inside their homes and burned alive, while indiscriminate gunfire claimed the lives of many others. Those who attempted to flee were also targeted as panic spread throughout the area.

Monnas Ali was among the civilians desperately trying to escape the violence when he was struck in the abdomen by a bullet fired by Pakistani soldiers. Although he survived the attack, his injuries were severe. Owing to extreme poverty and the lack of access to specialised medical treatment at the time, he was unable to undergo surgery to remove the bullet. As a result, the projectile remained lodged inside his body for the next fifty-five years.

Despite enduring persistent discomfort and physical pain over the decades, Monnas Ali continued his life without the medical intervention that would have relieved his condition. His case only came to wider public attention recently after details of the retained bullet were shared on Facebook, prompting widespread discussion.

Following the social media attention, medical professionals took the initiative to examine his condition thoroughly. Diagnostic assessments confirmed that the bullet remained inside his abdomen, leading doctors to recommend surgery. After careful preparation, the operation was performed successfully, finally removing the wartime projectile more than half a century after the injury occurred.

Relatives said Monnas Ali has expressed immense relief after being freed from the long-standing burden of carrying the bullet. Doctors have also reported encouraging signs of recovery, stating that his condition is steadily improving following the successful procedure.

The extraordinary case serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring human consequences of the 1971 Liberation War. For many survivors, the conflict left not only emotional scars but also lifelong physical injuries, some of which remained untreated for decades due to poverty, limited healthcare access and the difficult circumstances faced in the years following the war. Monnas Ali’s successful surgery represents both a significant medical achievement and the closing of a painful chapter that began fifty-five years ago.