The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Naogaon

The historic 37th Genocide Day of some one hundred people, including the then General Manager (Adminis-trator) of famous North Bengal Sugar Mills (NBSM) at Gopalpur under Natore district was observed on the mill premises on 5th May.

On May 5, 1971, the then Pakistan Army shot dead some one hundred officers, labourers and employes of NBSM through brushfire and dumped the dead bodies into the pond inside the mills compound. Entire water of the pond turned red from the spilling blood of the martyred.

They were killed on the staircase of the pond and the pond has been named Shaheed Sagar. Their holy dead bodies were not recovered. A memorial meeting was held in observance of this historic day at the foot of the Shaheed Minar near the Shaheed Sagar at Gopalpur NBS Mills. Managing Director of the mills Kazi Ghulam Murtaza presided over the meeting.

Shaheed family members including Advocate Anwarul Quadir, Dr. Anwarul Iqbal, Eabul Akhter, lecturer Farhad-uz-Zamman Rubel, local former M.P. Zillur Rahman, general manager of the mill S.M. Sudarssan Mallick, Principal Zafar Ahmed, Central Sramik leaders Anwar Kamal and Khairul Mashar, Abdur Razzak Master and others spoke on this historic occasion.

One labourer of the mill Khandaker Jalal Ahmed who escaped death even after being wounded in gun fire, depicted a first-hand account of the pathetic story of this genocide.

The speakers in their brief speeches appealed the Chief Adviser of the caretaker government and chief of the army staff, to observe this historic genocide day on May 5, at the state level at this mill, honouring the martyrs, as such genocide has not occurred at any mill in the world, during the liberation war for independence, except Bangladesh Liberation War, and also to establish one modernised museum on the mill premisem preserving photos, life-sketches, relics and others of the said martyrs, in their memorium, well-known to the world.

Later, Pesh Imam Moulana Mukhtar Hossain led munajat of the milad mahfil.