Dhaka, Oct 18 (V7N) — Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan has announced that the names of those who were martyred during the Hefazat-e-Islami movement at Shapla Chattar will be inscribed on a permanent memorial structure at the site.

He made the announcement while addressing a program at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Saturday (October 18) noon.

Asif Mahmud said that the fascist forces defeated in the past may attempt to question various aspects of this initiative, but the government remains committed to preserving the memory of those who lost their lives.

Recalling the tragic incident of May 5, 2013, he said, “When this barbaric massacre took place, I was only 15 years old, probably in class nine. I still remember the scenes vividly. The entire nation witnessed that brutality, yet the then Awami League government tried to erase it from history. Even the families of the martyrs were afraid to come forward.”

He added that the upcoming memorial will honor all those who sacrificed their lives to defend Bangladesh’s independence, sovereignty, and democratic values, expressing hope that future generations will remember them with reverence.

At the same event, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar condemned the May 5 crackdown, saying, “The Awami League government crossed all limits of cruelty. If the perpetrators of that night are brought to exemplary justice, no one will dare to repeat such atrocities against scholars and ulama.”

Parwar further said that a new unity has formed among Islamic parties in the post-July coup political landscape, warning that failure to maintain this unity could push the nation into a deep crisis.

Incidentally, Tk 777,000 has been distributed to the families of 77 people killed in the 2013 Hefazat-e-Islam movement and the March 2021 protest.

END/SMA/AJ