Pritilata Waddedar : The Fire Brand Woman of Indian Freedom Movement.


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NG Banerjee

Pritilata Waddedar (5 May 1911 – 23 September 1932) was a Bengali anti-British revolutionary from Chittagong, which is now in Bangladesh, who became a martyr for the liberation of our motherland.

Pritilata Waddadar real embodiment of flaring devotion and dedication (for enchained Mother India), on 5th May 1911 was born in a much culturally advanced middle class familyat DHALGHAT Village in Chittagong (Chattogram) (a breading place of a large number of heroic revolutionaries who believed in armed struggle to free India from the bondage of British Imperialism) in undivided Bengal in undivided India, now in South Samura in Subdistrict Patia in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Her parents were Sri Jagabandhu Waddadar and Smt.


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Pratibha Waddadar who arranged for the best possible education for their daughter available there at that time and put her into Dr. Khastogir’s school (a renowned school for children) directly in class III where she was awarded scholarship in class III which proved her genre and brillance.

Pritilata Waddedar passed the Matriculation Examination, the school leaving examination at that time in 1928 the she got admitted in Eden College in Dhaka and she passed I. A. Examination from there. After that she came to Kolkata (the then Calcutta) for her graduation in English and was admitted in famous Bethune College and came out successful in B. A. examination. After completion of her graduation she was appointed directly as the Headmistress of Aparna Charan Girls’ School in Chittagong (Chattogram).


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When she was a student of class – VIII she witnessed Masterda Surya Sen, unprisoned by the British Police on the charge of looting Railway money and her patriotic spirit flured up wintnessing the oppression unleashed by the British Police on the revolutionary activists.

Gradually she is started collecting books on revolutionary philosophy and biographies of great revolutionary leaders. When she was in dhaka for her studies she associated herself with a secreat revolutionary womne’s organizaiton – Dipali Sangha and had direct contact with a number of revolutionary leaders which formed a firm spirit in her.

She directly took part in the anti-British movement when she was a student of Bethun College.

During this period she made Ramkrishna Biswas, the great revolutionary activists awaiting his execution by hanging, in Alipore Jail introducing herself as his sister day after day for forty (40) times and there long conversation cast a concrete foundation of revolutionary – mentality dormant in her – saturated her with revolutionary dreams which she believed the only way to earn freedom in true sense.


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Secretly she arranged for collecting arms & amunation and sent those successful to Chittagong for boosting up the arms struggle there after her graduation she came permanently to her birth place and was waiting with trobbing heart to meet her revolutionarry idol – Masterda Surya Sen and that came true in a secret meeting held in the residence of Sabitri Devi ; but this proved to be catastrophic as the information of the meeting was some how leaked to British Military Police who raided the house and Masterda and Pritilata escaped death narrowly that day though great revolutionary activists – Apurba Sen (Bhola, Nirmal Sen and Capt. Cameroon (the notorious biritish police) of the force died in the direct encounter).

As Biritish Police started suspecting her after this incidents, she went underground as directed by Masterda himself. After this Masterda initiated and attacked on hill side (Pahartoli) European Club which remain unsuccessful and masterda Surya Sen offered Pritilata the batton of leadership to organized further attempts to attack the club.


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She went to Kotowali Sea Side for arms training and chalking out plans to organize the Guerilla attack on European Club at the hill side Chittagong. On the auspicious and eventful night 24th September 1932 she along with her Comrades plugned into attacking the club and stormed it.

Pritilata Waddedar succumbed bullet injury while fleeing away after the successful attack and embraced death by swalloing Cynide capsule (that she always kept with her) in order not to be captured by ruthless british police and army personnel Then she was a mere youth of 21. The sacrifice of her’s incited spirits in many women with patriotic revolutionary feeling which enriched the arm struggle in the following years.


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