Jail Killing Day was observed with due solemnity yesterday commemorating the assassination of four national leaders.
On November 3, 1975, four national leaders and Liberation War heroes – Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain M Mansur Ali and AHM Kamruzzaman – were assassinated inside Dhaka Central Jail.
The four leaders had played a key role in forming the Mujibnagar government in exile that led to the Liberation War of 1971 with Syed Nazrul Islam as the acting president, Tajuddin Ahmed as the prime minister, Mansur Ali as the finance minister and AHM Qamruzzaman as the home, relief and rehabilitation minister.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages marking the day, UNB reported.
Meanwhile, the Awami League, its associate bodies and other political parties chalked out elaborate programmes on this occasion.
The programmes include hoisting of national flag half-mast and party flags, placing wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhanmondi, offering fateha at the Banani Graveyard and wearing black badges.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait around 7am yesterday.
She also observed some moments of silence as a mark of respect to the architect of independent Bangladesh.
Later, flanked by central leaders of the Awami League, Hasina placed another wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu as the party chief.
Besides, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam and Dhaka University Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique, among others, placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the city’s Dhanmondi area and those of the four leaders at Dhaka Central Jail.
