Founder of Bengal’s famous Ayurveda chain was killed by Pakistani Army
Remember that Bengali ayurvedic chain known as Sadhana Oushadhalaya? Other than some rickety signboards in some parts of Central and North Kolkata, this earliest Ayurvedic medicine chain founded by a Bengali entrepreneur has gone into oblivion. Jogesh Chandra Ghosh, the man behind the brand had devoted his entire life for the welfare of people through his drugstore and hailed by the people of Dhaka till he was assassinated by the Pakistani Army.
Founded in 1914, Sadhona Oushadhalaya became so popular that it had branches even in North America and Africa. It was the disastrous night of March 25, 1971 when the Pakistan army committed a mass killing in Bangladesh. Though many Hindus realized what the army would do, and fled to West Bengal as refugees, Jogesh Chandra Ghosh did not even make an endeavor to save his life. All his associates and workers left, but he waited. As a resident of Sutrapur, Dhaka, he had a huge mansion and business interests. The factory of the medical chain was a mammoth one. After sunset, when the workers would go home, every evening Jogesh Chandra would spend time with Rampal and Souraj, the two trusted gatekeepers of the factory who were with him for 17 long years.
But they too could not save him that fateful night. A military jeep suddenly arrived in front of the building breaking the deafening silence of the night. Around 5-6 army officials carrying arms alighted and broke the locks of the gate. Souraj came forward putting up strong resistance and fired relentlessly. Ayub Khan’s army was eventually defeated in the hands of the gatekeepers that night. Souraj asked his master to flee, but he was defiant and refused to bow to the Pakistani Army.
Next morning again the military jeeps came and though his security officials and associates took up weapons to put up a strong fight, he could not be saved. He had perished in the hands of the Pakistan army. His corpse full of scars was discovered in the kitchen eventually. The Pakistan army did not only kill Jogesh Chandra but took away all his riches. The man who loved his motherland and worked relentlessly for the welfare of the people was mercilessly killed. And his dream chain of medicine stores Sadhana Oushodhyalaya also died gradually.
