The Golahat genocide, a horrific crime against humanity committed by the Pakistani occupation forces with Behari collaborators on June 13, 1971 at the Syedpur township of Nilphamari, remains untried.
Pakistani occupation forces with their collaborators killed 437 Marwari and Hindu people including men, women and children on the day, reports BSS.
Relatives of these martyrs still tremble while narrating the events of that unfortunate day. Talking to BSS, Nironjan Kumar Agarwala Niju, 52, son of a Golahat genocide martyr Rameswar Lal Agarwala, one of the eyewitnesses narrated the killings and named a few war criminals.
While narrating the genocide at Golahat in the presence of Syedpur Upazila Muktijoddha Commander Ekramul Haque and its former Commander Zikrul Haque, Niju, who lost nine family members including his father, could not control his tears.
“The then Muslim League leader and peace committee Chairman Izahar Ahmed, his brother Nesar Ahmed, NSF leader Tawqir Ahmed Kennedy and others led the genocide,” Niju said.
Led by these Beharis, the occupation forces apprehended 185 Marwari and Hindu males and took them to Syedpur Cantonment on June 1 in 1971 and forced them into hard labour at Syedpur Airport. On June 12 in 1971, Major Gul hatched a plan, which involved informing the hostages that they would be sent to India through the bordering Haldibari rail station.
“Accordingly, the killers took them to Syedpur station by trucks around 5am to 6am on June 13, asked them to go home and come back with their family members to travel to India by train,” Niju said.
The frightened hostages went home and 447 people returned including women, children and elderly family members.
“The killers sealed off all doors and windows after pouring males into two trucks and women with children into two other trucks before the train started very slowly around 6am to 7am from Syedpur station,” Niju said.
Niju followed the train that stopped at Golahat culvert at Syedpur Township when local villagers soon jumped into the bushes to hide.
“I saw the killers opening doors, forcibly taking hostages one by one including women and children out and stabbing them to death with sharp weapons and bayonets,” he said.
The crying minors were murdered by being thrown on to the metallic rail lines, while the others were thrown up into the air, only to fall onto a bed of bayonets, Niju added. Thus, 437 Marwari and Hindu people embraced martyrdom, while the remaining 10 escaped by smashing through the windows of the trucks.
“My mother Shanti Devi failed to board the train, now she lives in a comatose state and expresses her dissatisfaction at the war criminals’ trial, that is yet to be completed,” Niju said.
Former lawmaker Alim Uddin, freedom fighter Salah Uddin Beg, Shomsher Ali Bosunia, Professor Moslem Uddin Ahmed, Shamsul Huda Kadam and many others could not control their emotions while narrating the deadly Golahat genocide. “The Beharis led by peace committee chairman Izahar Ahmed killed my father, cut off his head and brought out a ‘victory’ procession with the head in Syedpur,” emotional Salah Uddin Beg said.
Syedpur Muktijoddha Commander Ekramul Haque said his office submitted a list of 84 living war criminals from Syedpur to the International Crimes Tribunal more than two years ago, but none have been arrested so far.