Col. Tara along with his wife Abha Tara next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2017

Celebration and joy

As the family celebrated and shed tears of joy, a gentleman called Khokha who was an aide of Bangabandhu and also a cousin, walked in with a flag of Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina handed it over to Major Tara and asked him to go up to the terrace, remove the Pakistani flag, and hoist it. Major Tara did as he was told. He threw the Pakistani flag to the ground. And then he planted the Bangladesh flag. Banga Mata came up and stomped on the Pakistani flag recalls Col. Tara. “I was informed later that it was the first time ever that the national flag of liberated Bangladesh had been hoisted anywhere in that country.”

Job accomplished, history made, Major Tara continued to remain in charge of the security of Mujibur Rahman’s family for a month more, even as his battalion—14 Guards—moved out of Dhaka. Banga Mata presented him a Tissot wrist watch, a gift he greatly values. On January 12, 1972, released from his own captivity, Bangabandhu met him at Dhanmondi, Dhaka. “You are my son. I want a picture of my entire family with you,” he told Major Tara.

Another meeting with Sheikh Mujib followed on January 17, 1972, albeit a brief one. Bangabandhu came halfway down the stairs to see Major Tara off. That was their last meeting. Some four and a half years later, Bangabandhu was to be assassinated on that same staircase.

For his unquestionable valor, Col. Tara was decorated with the ‘Friends of Liberation War’ Honor in Dhaka on October 20, 2012 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Later, in honor of the heroes of the Bangladesh War, a program was held at Delhi’s Maneckshaw Hall on April 8, 2017 where both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart spoke about him. A highly decorated officer, he was also presented the Veer Chakra in 1972 for the Battle of Ganga Sagar that took place on December 3, 1971.

But for Col. Tara’s incredible guts and wits, Bangladesh’s history could have taken an entirely different course.