RANGPUR, Mar 9 (BSS): The frightening genocide committed by the Pakistani occupation forces with collaborators at Golahat in Syedpur of Nilphamari in 1971 still reminds of heinous atrocities of the war criminals against humanity.
The Pakistani occupation forces with non-Bengali Beharis committed the heinous crime against humanity through killing 437 Marwari and Hindu people including men, women, babies, children, adolescents and girls at Golahat on June 13 in 1971.
The nation has achieved its independent 43 years back. But, relatives of Golahat martyrs still tremble while narrating the genocide and demand trial of the war criminals involved with the terrible genocide for peace of the departed souls.
Nironjan Kumar Agarwala Niju, 53, son of a Golahat genocide martyr Rameswar Lal Agarwala, is one of the eyewitnesses, narrated the atrocities to BSS naming a number of war criminals, still living in Syedpur without trial.
While narrating the genocide at Golahat genocide site in presence of Syedpur Upazila Muktijoddha Commander Ekramul Haque and former Commander Zikrul Haque, Niju, who lost nine family members including father, could not control emotion and tears.
He said the then Muslim League leader and peace committee Chairman Izahar Ahmed, his brother Nesar Ahmed, NSF leader Tawqir Ahmed Kennedy and other war criminals led the genocide.
Led by these Beharis, the occupation forces caught 185 Marwari and Hindu males and took them to Syedpur Cantonment on June 1 in 1971 and forcibly engaged them in earth works at Syedpur Airport.
On June 12 in 1971, Pakistani Major Gul created a cheating plan and informed the hostages that they would be sent to India through bordering Haldibari Rail Station in bordering Panchagarh.
"Accordingly, the killers took them to Syedpur Rail Station by trucks at about 6am on June 13, asked them to go homes and come back with their family members to go to India by train," Niju said.
The frightened victims became 'cautiously happy', went homes and soon 447 persons including housewives, children, daughters, sisters and other family members returned.
"The killers closed all doors and windows after pouring males into two bogies and females with children into two other bogies before the train started at about 7am from Syedpur station," Niju said.
I followed the very slowly going train that stopped at nearby Golahat culvert in Syedpur township, when local villagers soon went into hiding inside bushes fearing mass killing, he said.
"I saw the killers opening doors, forcibly taking hostages one by one including women and children out and stabbing them to deaths with sharp weapons and bayonets," Niju continued.
As minor children were crying, war criminals killed them by throwing on to the metallic rail lines, some of them into the air and keeping bayonets under them while falling, Niju added.
