Memorial plaque erected on Bablabon mass grave site in Rajshahi

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By Dr Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, Dec 14, 2020 (BSS) – A memorial plaque has been built on the
mass-grave site at Shrirampur Bablabon area in Rajshahi city recently paying
rich tribute to 17 known and many other unknown martyrs.

Freedom Fighters, members of the martyred family and civil society had long
been demanding for conservation of the mass grave site through construction
of a memorial plaque for a long time.

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has constructed the plaque
at a cost of around Taka 30 lakh with financial support of the Ministry of
Liberation War, said LGED Executive Engineer Saniul Haque.

The memorial plaque has been opened formally to mark the Martyred
Intellectuals Day today.

Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton accompanied by Fazley Hossain
Badsha, MP, and valiant Freedom Fighters Professor Ruhul Amin Pramanik and
Shahjahan Ali Borjahan inaugurated the plaque before large number valiant
Freedom Fighters and others concerned.

In sideline of the opening programme, valiant Freedom Fighter Professor
Ruhul Amin Pramanik told BSS that the Pakistani army with the help of their
local collaborators picked up 17 people including intellectuals and
politicians from their houses on the night of November 25 in 1971.

After mass killing the bodies were dumped and later locals and Freedom
Fighters unearthed the mass grave adjacent to the present T-groin in the city
on December 30.

After killing bodies of the 17 martyred including Professor Mir Abdul
Quayyum of Rajshahi University, Nawrose-ud-Doula Khan, Taslim Uddin, Abul
Hossain, Alauddin, Taiyab Ali, Mirja Sultan, Azizul Haque Chowdhury and
Aminul Haque Chowdhury were dumped at the site.

He commemorated the genocide, carried out by Pakistan occupation forces
that left 17 people including intellectuals and politicians were brutally
killed on this day in 1971.

Prof Pramanik said the genocide committed by the Pakistani occupation
forces with the help of their collaborators at different areas of the city in
1971 still reminds of heinous atrocities and crime against humanity.

He also said there are more mass-graves in the city including Upashahar and
Tallaimari but unfortunately all those remained in uncared for condition.

“I can still recollect the day when I went to the grave site riding a
bicycle in the morning of December 30, 1971. I could identify my father’s
body by seeing the ring on his finger,” said Omor Faruque Chowdhury, MP, son
of Azizul Haque Chowdhury, while talking to BSS.

Masudur Rahman Rinku, nephew of the martyred businessman Altaf Hossain,
said he identified his uncle’s body after seeing his sweater and even
thirteen of the bodies were found tied up with ropes.