Killing fields, mass graves in Bogra remain ignored

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BOGRA, Dec 4 (BSS): There is a large number of killing fields and mass graves of martyrs of the War of Liberation at different places in the district that remain uncared for a long time.
The killing fields and mass graves discovered after independence included Babur Pukur, Dhunat, SP's Garden, Sadhu'r Ashram, Shibganj Majumdarpara, Bogra Rail Station, Sherpur Bagra Colony, Madla, Chaklokman and Darimukund of Sherpur.
On November 11 in 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators picked up 21 patriotic people from Thanthania and Khandar areas of the town.
They later released seven persons but shot dead the rest keeping them standing in a row at Babur Pukur under Shahjahanpur Upazila on that fateful night.
Nurjahan Begum, an employee of Bogra Telephone Department, laid down her life in the hands of Pakistani occupation forces. Other martyrs are Hannan Pashari, Saiful Islam, Wazedul Islam Tuku, Jalal Mandal, Montu Mondal, Abdus Sabur Bhola, Altaf Ali, Badsha Sheikh, Bachchu Sheikh, Fazlul Haque Khan, Abul Hossain, Mannan Pashari and one unnamed man.
With the financial assistance of Bogra Zila Parishad, a mausoleum named 'Babur Pukur Smriti Shoudha' is being built there after 38 years of independence.
Earlier, Bogra Union of Journalists' appealed to the government and non-government organisations (NGOs) for constructing a mausoleum there in memory of the martyrs.
Responding to their appeal, a businessman, Asadur Rahman Khandakar Laizu, came forward to build a mausoleum. But its work stopped after the 2001 general elections.
The garden of Akbar Ali Sarkar in front of Bogra College was another killing field where Pakistani occupation forces gunned down innumerable freedom fighters.
The Pakistani occupation forces killed countless freedom fighters at a house of the garden and threw their bodies into a nearby ditch.
Fatema Begum, a retired schoolteacher, said there were signs of blood and torture at the house. "We heard groaning of the people during the War of Liberation and saw underwear, pant, sari, blouse and other clothes after independence," she said.
After the victory on December 16 in 1971, she said, people had seen a huge number of human skulls as well as bones in the area. New houses were built in the area instead of preserving the place.
The second floor of a railway official's house in the town was used as a slaughtering house by the Pakistani occupation forces during the War of Liberation. The Pakistani forces picked up common people from different places of the district and tossed their bodies into a big well after slaughtering, witnesses said.
They said most of the people were killed at the outer kitchen of the house. Seven freedom fighters were killed at a time by the Pakistani occupation forces there. Of them five were identified. They are Abdus Sattar, Abdul Quader, Abdus Salam, Abdul Gani and Matin Suja.
The earthen floor of the house was coagulated with blood and use of spade was needed to clean up the house after independence, the witnesses said. Railway employees have been living in the house after its renovation.
The past BNP-Jamaat alliance government had constructed a mausoleum there but it remains neglected.
There is a mass grave of 95 people at Bejora Ghat in Chaklokman area. In one incident 23 persons were killed at a time by the Pakistani occupation forces and 72 people were killed at the same time in another incident there.