Political parties pay homage to 'Khapra Ward' martyrs

RAJSHAHI, Apr 24 (BSS): The historic 'Khapra Ward Day' was observed on Tuesday at Rajshahi Central Jail and in the city paying rich tributes to seven communist political leaders who were shot to death in the jail in 1950.

Marking the day, general secretary of the Workers Party of Bangladesh (WPB) Fazley Hossain Badsha, MP, and its city unit president Liakat Ali Liku and general secretary Debashish Pramanik and other leaders from allied political parties placed wreaths on the memorial plaque in front of the historic Khapra Ward inside the Rajshahi Central Jail.

The historic records say, on this day in 1950, the then on-duty jail guards following order of a jailer shot dead seven communist party leaders, who were detained in Khapra Ward of Rajshahi Central Jail, when they had tried to protest the inhuman behaviour meted out to them.

The detainees were served low quality food and deprived of other requisite facilities allowed under the jail code on the instruction of the then jail authority.

The slain communist leaders are Sukhendu Bhattacharya of Mymensingh, Baloram Singh of Dinajpur, Sudhin Dhar of Nawabganj, Delwar Hossain and Hanif Sheikh of Kushtia, Bijon Sen and Anwar Hossain of Khulna.

In observance of the day, another 16-member team of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and National Awami Party (NAP) placed wreaths at Shaheed Minar in front of the Khapra Ward inside the jail.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Comrade Moni Sing visited the Khapra Ward in 1972.

Local unit of CBP also organised a meeting at its office with city unit president Enamul Haque in the chair. Besides, NAP and Chhatra Union jointly brought out a procession in the city.