Jail Killing Day today

The Jail Killing Day is being observed today as it is the second disgraceful incident in the country after the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members on August 15 in 1975.

On November 3 in 1975, four national leaders and heroes of the country’s Liberation War -- Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman-- were assassinated inside the Dhaka Central Jail.

The four leaders played a key role in forming the Mujibnagar government in exile, that led the Liberation War in 1971, with Syed Nazrul Islam as the acting president, Tajuddin Ahmad as the prime minister, Mansur Ali as the finance minister and AHM Qamruzzaman as the home, relief and rehabilitation minister.

The nation is remembering the four national leaders, who were also the great heroes of the Liberation War in 1971, with due respect.

Different political parties are observing the mournful day across the country.

Meanwhile, Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj, son of Tajuddin Ahmad, Bangladesh’s first Prime Minister, and former State Minister for Home Affairs, has announced a program to submit a memorandum to Chief Adviser of the interim government Dr. Muhammad Yunus today (November 3) to press home a three-point demand, including the observance of Jail Killing Day as a state event.

Sohel Taj announced the program through a post on his verified Facebook page on Friday (November 1).

In his Facebook post, Sohel Taj wrote, “November 3 is the disgraceful Jail Killing Day. It’s been 49 years, yet the four national heroes who successfully led the Liberation War and under whose leadership Bangladesh emerged as an independent sovereign state have not received any state recognition. This cannot be accepted!”

He then outlined his three demands.

He demanded that the government declare April 10, the day when the first Bangladesh government was formed, as the ‘Republic Day’, observe November 3, the Jail Killing Day, as the ‘National Mourning Day’ at the state level and include names, contributions and biographies of all civil and military organisers, directors, martyrs and freedom fighters in textbooks and syllabuses at all levels with due dignity and importance.

In his post, Sohel Taj wrote, “I believe these three demands are just and logical and reflect the heartfelt desires of everyone who supports independence and the Liberation War. In line with this, my next program will be to stage a sit-in in front of Hotel InterContinental on November 3 at 3:30 PM, followed by a march to submit the memorandum to the Chief Adviser.”