The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Jail Killing Day was observed yesterday with a renewed vow to bring the killers and perpetrators of the killing of four National leaders of Independence movement to justice.

Rich tributes were paid to the four national leaders, who led the exiled government of Bangladesh during the Liberation War and won victory in the war.

The leaders Syed Nazrul Islam, acting president of Bangladesh government in exile in 1971, Tajuddin Ahmed, prime minister of the same government, M Mansur Ali, finance minister, and AHM Kamaruzzaman, home, relief and rehabilitation minister were killed inside Dhaka Central Jail on this day in 1975 in less than three months after the August 15 massacre.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, honouring the memory of the four national leaders, said the jail killing case would be revived. She called for a united effort against "the politics of killing".

"Retrials of the Jail Killing case will be held. We must be cautious of such sabotage. We want to stop the politics of killing forever," she said while addressing a programme at the Bangabandhu Conference Centre in the evening.

The government would move a petition to the Supreme Court to hear its leave to appeal in the Jail Killings case once the appeals proceedings in the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case are complete, other policymakers also said.

The Prime Minister called upon the people to remain united to thwart any conspiracy against democracy and the rule of law.

In the morning, she placed wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban marking the Jail Killing Day.

Later, the Prime Minister went to Banani Graveyard where three of the four national leaders were buried. She placed wreaths at the graves of Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed and Captain M Mansur Ali.

The jail killing victim, AHM Qamaruzzaman, was buried at his family graveyard at Qadirganj in Rajshahi city.

Deputy leader of the House, ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister, state ministers, leaders and workers of Awami League and its associated bodies were present on the occasion.

Bangladesh Awami League (AL), its associate organisations and other socio-political bodies chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner.

The programmes included hoisting of national and party flags at half-mast at Bangabandhu Bhaban, central AL office and other party offices at 7 A.M. Black flags were also hoisted.

Assembly at Bangabandhu Bhaban and placing of wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at 7:01 AM, offering of Fateha and milad mahfil at the graves of the martyred leaders at Banani graveyard at 7:30 AM were the other programmes of the day.

The previous Awami League government had revived the trial of the Jail Killings case after coming to power in 1996. A verdict was announced on Oct 20, 2004 during the tenure of the BNP-led alliance government, sentencing 15 of the 20 accused.

Of them, three were sentenced to death in the case. Later the High Court upheld the death sentence of just one. But the current Awami League government has sought leave to appeal to the Appellate Division of the SC.

"The previous government tried to derail the Jail Killings case," state minister for law Qamrul Islam told reporters at another programme at Dhaka Central Jail Tuesday to honour the memories of the four slain leaders.

"We will press for the hearing on our leave to appeal petition as soon as the Bangabandhu murder case is resolved," he said. Home minister Sahara Khatun was also present.

"No government other than ours has paid respects to the four national leaders," Shahara Khatun told reporters.

State minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, MP Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, inspector general of prisons Brigadier General Mohammed Ashraful Islam Khan and Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner A K M Shahidul Haque were present on the occasion.

They placed wreaths at the foot of a Kamini tree planted by Sheikh Mujib when he had been in jail and at the spot where the four leaders were slain.

Tuku said, the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and the monument on the four national leaders would be inaugurated on December 16, the Victory Day.