Surya Sen

Sen wanted for 10,000 taka, poster distributed by the Inspector general of the Police Division of Undivided Bengal in 1932.

Sen was born on 22 March 1894[4] at Noapara, under Raozan Upazila in Chittagong. His father Ramaniranjan Sen was a teacher. In 1916, when he was a B.A. student in Berhampore College (now Krishnath College) of Murshidabad he learned about Indian freedom movement from one of his teachers. He felt attracted towards revolutionary ideals and joined the revolutionary organisation Anushilan Samity. After completing his studies he returned to Chittagong in 1918 and became a Mathematics teacher at National school, Nandankanan. At that time, Indian National Congress was the most prominent political party there.

Sen led a group of revolutionaries on 18 April 1930 to raid the armoury of police and auxiliary forces from the Chittagong armoury.[5] The plan was elaborate and included seizing of arms from the armoury as well as destruction of communication system of the city (including telephone, telegraph and railway), thereby isolating Chittagong from the rest of British Raj.[5] However, although the group gained the arms, they failed to capture the ammunition. They hoisted the Indian National Flag on the premises of the armoury, and then escaped. A few days later, a large fraction of the revolutionary group was cornered in the nearby Jalalabad Hills by the British troops. In the ensuing fight, twelve Revolutionaries died, many were arrested, while some managed to flee, including Sen.[5]

Sen stayed in hiding, and kept moving from one place to another. Sometimes he took up a job as a workman, a farmer, a priest, a house worker or even hid as a pious Muslim. This is how he avoided being captured by the British.

He hid in the house of a man called Netra Sen. But Netra Sen informed the British of his hiding place, and the police came and captured him in February 1933. Before Netra Sen could be rewarded by the British, a revolutionary came into his house and beheaded him with da (a long knife). As Netra Sen's wife was a big supporter of Surya Sen, she never disclosed the name of the revolutionary who killed Netra Sen. Another revolutionary named Tarakeswar Dastidar was also hanged together with Sen.

His last letter was written to his friends and said: "Death is knocking at my door. My mind is flying away towards eternity. At such a pleasant, at such a grave, at such a solemn moment, what shall I leave behind you? Only one thing, that is my dream, a golden dream – the dream of free India. Never forget the date, 18th of April, 1930, the day of the eastern Rebellion in Chittagong. Write in red letters in the core of your hearts the names of the patriots who have sacrificed their lives at the altar of India’s freedom."

• The gallows in Chittagong Central Jail, where Sen was hanged. The Government of Bangladesh has designated it a historical monument.
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Indian film director Ashutosh Gowariker directed the film Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (2010) about Sen's life. Actor Abhishek Bachchan played the role of Sen.[6] Another film Chittagong (2012) directed by Bedabrata Pain was about Sen's armoury raid. Manoj Bajpayee played the leading role.[7]

• Pritilata Waddedar, Bengali revolutionary nationalist
• Masterda Surya Sen metro station, metro railway station in Kolkata, India

• Chittagong's Greatest Revolutionary Hero: Surjya Sen