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The nation is observing the Jail Killing Day today (Sunday) with due solemnity, marking the brutal killing of four national leaders inside the jail.
On November 3, 1975, four national leaders and heroes of the country’s Liberation War -- Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman -- were assassinated inside the Dhaka Central Jail.
The four leaders played a key role in forming the Mujibnagar government in exile that led the Liberation War in 1971 with Syed Nazrul Islam as the acting president, Tajuddin Ahmad as the prime minister, Mansur Ali as the finance minister and AHM Qamruzzaman as the home, relief and rehabilitation minister.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the four national leaders by placing wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi in the morning.
Sheikh Hasina first laid a wreath as the prime minister at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32.
Later, flanked by senior party leaders, Sheikh Hasina laid another wreath at the portrait of the Father of the Nation as the president of Awami League.
Ruling Awami League and its associate bodies and other political parties are observing the day with various programmes.
The programmes include hoisting of national flag at half-mast, hoisting of party flags, wearing black badges, offering fateha at the graves of the four leaders at Banani Graveyard.
Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the occasion, UNB reports.
The President, in his message, said, “The aim of the killers was to erase the ideals of the Liberation War from the spirit of the young generation apart from giving rise to an undemocratic autocratic rule which failed.”
He urged all to work from their respective positions to complete the unfinished works of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build a happy, prosperous Sonar Bangla. “This should be our promise in the Jail Killing Day.”
In her message, the prime minister said, “The killing of the four national leaders was the continuation of the assassination of the Father of the Nation along with his family. Through it, the defeated forces and anti-state quarters made an evil attempt to destroy the Liberation War spirit and render the Banglaee nationals leaderless by erasing the name of Awami League.”
She urged people of the country to build poverty-free and happy, peaceful golden Bangladesh as dreamt by Bangabandhu.