Dr Zoha: The first intellectual martyr of liberation war

RAJSHAHI UNIVERSITY, Feb 17: Dr. Shamsuzzoha was not only a teacher of the Rajshahi University (RU), but also a victim of first intellectual martyr of the liberation war of the country.
On February18 Prof Shamsuzzoha, the then proctor and a teacher of RU chemistry department, was shot dead at the main entrance gate of the university by the Pakistani military junta.
Form that day, February 18 is a red-letter day not only in the history of RU but also in the memory of the entire teacher's community in the country.
On this very turbulent day of mass upsurge in 1969, a respectable teacher of the university to preferred sacrifice his life to bowing down his head to the injustice of the then autocratic Pakistani rulers.
On that day, Dr. Zoha was requesting two Pak army officers, Captain Hadi and Lt Khadem Shah, not to shoot at the demonstrating students who brought out a procession defying Section-144.
The agitating students were protesting the murder of Sergeant Zahurul Haque, an accused of Agartala Conspiracy Case, in Pakistani army's custody just three days ago.
At one stage of the argument, Lt Khadem ordered a Bangalee combatant to shoot Dr. Zoha. When the soldier refused, Lt Khadem shot Dr. Zoha with his revolver.
The valiant teacher was charged with bayonet too.
This is Dr. Shamsuzzoha who had to lay his life for the cause of the nation that was in a struggle for democracy at that time.
    belal.feni@gmail.com