RAJSHAHI: Proper preservation by the authorities concerned is required to protect and uphold the dignity of the historic mass graveyard 1971 at Babla Bon at Shreerampur in the city, reports BSS. Family members of several Liberation War martyrs have demanded steps for protection and proper maintenance of the mass grave site so that people can pay homage to the great sons of the soil, who were buried there. The Pakistani army with the help of their local collaborators picked up 17 people including intellectuals and politicians from their houses on the night of November 25 in 1971. Their bodies were found after local people discovered the mass grave near Boalia Club in the city on December 30. The graveyard is now occupied by locals and turned into an unknown land.
Bodies of the 17 martyrs including Prof Mir Abdul Quayyum of Rajshahi University, Nawrose-ud-Doula Khan, Taslim Uddin, Abul Hossain, Alauddin, Taiyab Ali, Mirja Sultan, Azizul Haque Chowdhury and Aminul Haque Chowdhury were dumped at the site. "I can still remember the day well when I went to the grave site riding a bicycle in the morning of December 30, 1971. I could identify my father's body by seeing the ring on his finger," said Asaf-ud-Doula Khan Gulzar, son of Nawrose-ud-Doula Khan who developed a transistor amplifier and supplied it to freedom fighters for use during the war.
Towfiqur Rahman Lavlu, nephew of martyred businessman Altaf Hossain, said he identified his uncle's body after seeing his sweater. Thirteen of the bodies were tied up with a rope. Family members of the martyrs and local people hold discussion in the city and gather at the gravesite on November 25 every year marking their abduction on this day in 1971. Talking to BSS, most of them demanded protection of the site and trial of war criminals, particularly who were involved in the barbaric killing.
Prof Dr Mahbuba Kanij Keya, daughter of Prof Mir Abdul Quayyum, said the frightening genocide committed by the Pakistani occupation forces with collaborators at different areas of the city in 1971 still reminds of heinous atrocities of the war criminals against humanity.
The nation has achieved its independent 44 years back. But, relatives of 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, she added. He called for taking necessary measures for preservation of those for the future generation. Dr Keya, a teacher of Psychology Department of Rajshahi University, said there are many other mass-graves in the city especially Upashahar and Tallaimari but unfortunately all those remained in uncared condition.
Mustafizur Rahman Khan, a senior-citizen of the city and brother-in-law of Prof Abdul Quayyum, said the massacres still tremble while narrating the genocides when the war criminals also burnt many dead bodies and houses to ashes, violated young girls and women in various areas. The then occupation forces conducted door-to-door combing operations and caught many innocent but independent-seeking people irrespective of caste, creed and religion, set fire and looted properties, violated and tortured hundreds of daughters of the soil, he said. But, unfortunately, there is no genuine list of the martyred families in the city.   For this reason, they aren't getting any financial support from the authorities concerned.