Bot at 12:41, 12 November 2022

2022-11-12T12:41:14Z

New page

'''Laxman Das''' ({{lang-bn|লক্ষ্মণ দাস}}) was a wrestler, weight lifter, circus performer and the founder of Royal Pakistan Circus.<ref name="banglapedia">{{cite book |last=Zakaria |first=Saymon |year=2012 |chapter=Circus |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Circus |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> In the genocide during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]], he was killed by the [[Pakistan Army]].<ref name="kk">{{cite news|url=http://www.kalerkantho.com/print_edition/print_news.php?pub_no=135&cat_id=3&menu_id=108&news_type_id=1&index=11|script-title=bn:লক্ষ্মণ দাসের পুনর্জন্ম|last=Maroof|first=Taufique|work=Kaler Kantho|language=Bengali|accessdate=2 November 2013|location=Dhaka|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103203354/http://www.kalerkantho.com/print_edition/print_news.php?pub_no=135&cat_id=3&menu_id=108&news_type_id=1&index=11|archive-date=3 November 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Early life and career ==
Das was born in Uttar Paraldi village of greater Barisal district, now in [[Gaurnadi Upazila]] of [[Barisal District]]. Early in his career Das was a renowned wrestler and weightlifter. He also knew a little bit of magic. He used to perform tricks in schools and college without any payment. A maternal uncle enrolled Das in Lion Circus.<ref name="kk"/> At the Lion Circus, Das performed rare feats like cutting iron rods using teeth, bending iron rods using neck, weightlifting, throwing javelins and dagger boards.<ref name="kk"/> In 1948, Das formed his own circus known as the Royal Pakistan Circus.

== Death ==
In 1971, during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] the [[Pakistan Army]] set up a military camp at Gaurnadi College, adjacent to the house of Das.<ref name="kk"/> The collaborators alleged that Das had been training rebels under the guise of circus.<ref name="kk"/> Fearing a military raid, Das fled with his family to Kodaldhowa in present-day [[Agailjhara Upazila]] in [[Barisal District]], leaving behind the circus equipment and the trained animals including elephants, tigers, bears and deer. The Pakistan Army looted the equipment and killed all the animals, including the elephant named Madhubala the star performer of Royal Pakistan Circus.<ref name="kk"/>

The Das family began to stay in a boat in the Ketnar Bil near Kodaldhowa village.<ref name="kk"/> In June, the Pakistan Army raided Kodaldhowa. When the soldiers went after the Das family in a boat, they jumped into the water in order to escape. While the two sons of Das swam to safety, Das and his wife were shot dead by the soldiers.<ref name="cn21122012">{{cite news|url=http://capitalnews24.com/?p=6935 |script-title=bn:আজো উপেক্ষিত কেতনার বিলের বধ্যভূমি |date=21 December 2012 |work=capitalnews24.com |language=Bengali |accessdate=8 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402090423/http://capitalnews24.com/?p=6935 |archivedate= 2 April 2015 }}</ref> The soldiers looted the gold and jewelry.<ref name="kk"/>

== Legacy ==
After the liberation of Bangladesh, Laxman Das' son Arun and Biren came together to form the circus again. The circus was named Laxman Das Circus in the memory of their father.<ref name="kk"/>

== See also ==
* [[Ketnar Bil massacre]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{1971 Bangladesh genocide|state=expanded}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Das, Laxman}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]
[[Category:1971 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Barisal District]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi Hindus]]
[[Category:People killed in the Bangladesh Liberation War]]

Laxman Das - Revision history

Bot at 12:41, 12 November 2022