Dhaka, Nov 03 (V7N)- Bangladesh observes Jail Killing Day today, November 3, commemorating the brutal assassination of four prominent national leaders inside Dhaka Central Jail on this day in 1975.
The four leaders—Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain M. Mansur Ali and A.H.M. Kamaruzzaman—played crucial roles in leading the country's Liberation War in 1971.
Historical accounts describe the killings as a continuation of the political violence that followed the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members on August 15, 1975.
Within days of the August 15 assassination, the four national leaders, who were among Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's closest political associates, were arrested and detained. On November 3, they were brutally murdered inside the prison while in custody. They were reportedly shot before being stabbed with bayonets.
Following Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's arrest in 1971, the Mujibnagar Government was formed on April 17 to lead the country's Liberation War. Syed Nazrul Islam served as Acting President, Tajuddin Ahmad as Prime Minister, Captain M. Mansur Ali as Finance Minister and A.H.M. Kamaruzzaman as Minister for Food and Relief.
Their leadership and contributions played a significant role in organising and directing Bangladesh's struggle for independence.
The day is observed annually as Jail Killing Day to remember the four leaders and honour their contributions to the country's independence.
A case was filed over the killings the day after the incident. However, the investigation and legal proceedings took several years to advance, with a charge sheet submitted in 1996.
In 2004, a court delivered its verdict in the jail killing case, sentencing three individuals to death and twelve others to life imprisonment.
Jail Killing Day remains one of the most significant and painful chapters in Bangladesh's political history, reminding the nation of the sacrifices made by its leaders during the Liberation War and the turbulent period that followed independence.
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