Jessore Genocide Day will be observed today (Saturday), marking one of the most brutal massacres carried out by Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War in 1971.
On this day, Pakistani troops unleashed a crackdown in Gurudas Babu Lane in Jessore town. Advocate Syed Amir Ali and his three sons—Syed Nurul Islam Babul and Syed Shafiqul Rahman Jahangir, both final-year students of Michael Madhusudan (MM) College, and HSC candidate Azizul Haque—were picked up from their houses and taken to the cantonment, where they were subjected to torture and subsequently killed.
On the same day, more than fifty individuals—including political leaders, teachers, students, and professionals—fell victim to similar atrocities across the district. Although a few of them were officially recognized as martyred intellectuals in 2024, many victims are yet to receive state recognition. Notably, no memorial has been established to honour them, despite long-standing demands from their families.
To mark the day, a series of programs have been organized. In the morning, Shankarpur killing ground will host tribute ceremonies, followed by an afternoon discussion meeting at the Jessore Town Hall ground.
Like the rest of the country, Jessore witnessed intense preparations for the Liberation War throughout March 1971. By early April, the movement had gained momentum, prompting Pakistani forces and their collaborators to launch widespread and systematic attacks to suppress the resistance.
Troops stationed at Jessore Cantonment carried out coordinated assaults across the town, targeting homes and religious institutions. Civilians were killed openly through gunfire and bayonet attacks. One of the deadliest incidents occurred at the Jessore Railway Station madrasa compound.
According to eyewitness Sheikh Abdur Rahim, madrasa students were reciting the Quran after Fajr prayers when Pakistani forces, assisted by local collaborators, stormed the premises. When the head cleric, Abul Hasan Jessori, attempted to intervene, he was falsely accused of sheltering members of the East Pakistan Rifles (EPR). Troops then opened indiscriminate fire.
Rahim, who witnessed the incident from a distance, later returned to find the area littered with bodies. A total of 23 people were killed at the site, of whom 16 were identified, while the identities of seven remain unknown.
They were later buried in a mass grave, and the incident is now remembered as the “Madrasa Tragedy.”
The victims included members of several families, teachers, and students. Among those identified were Taher Uddin, ABM Abdul Hamid, ABM Kamruzzaman, Kazi Abdul Gani and his son Kazi Kamruzzaman, Din Mohammad, Ayub Hossain, Kazi Abdul Kalam Azad, Maulana Habibur Rahman, Abdur Rouf, and Abu Kalam.
On the same day, Pakistani forces also attacked the Catholic Church in Jessore, killing six people, including an Italian priest.
Despite partial recognition, many victims of the April 4 genocide in Jessore remain unacknowledged, and no permanent memorial has yet been established.
Afzal Hossain Dodul, former deputy commander of Jessore Sadar Upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad, reiterated the demand for official recognition of all martyrs, preservation of mass graves, and construction of a memorial to honour the victims.
