November 11 is observed as Betiara Day in memory of the nine guerrillas who were martyred in a battle against the Pakistani occupation forces during the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh.
In 1971, the National Awami Party (NAP), the Communist Party, and the Student Union jointly raised a special guerrilla force of nearly 20,000 members. The force fought with courage and determination against the Pakistani army.
On 11 November 1971, a trained unit of this NAP–Communist Party–Student Union special guerrilla force clashed with Pakistani troops at Betiara in Chauddagram, Cumilla. Nine members of the unit laid down their lives in the encounter.
The martyrs are Nizamuddin Azad, Sirajum Munir Jahangir, Bashirul Islam (Bashir Master), Shahidullah Saud, Abdul Qayyum, Awlad Hossain, Abdul Kader, Mohammad Shafiullah, and Zahirul Haque Bhuiyan (Dudu Mia).