Like the previous years, the historic Khapra Ward Day was also observed in Rajshahi city on Sunday commemorating the seven detained communist political prisoners brutally killed in Rajshahi jail.
The historic records say, on this day in 1950 the then on- duty jail police shot dead seven communist party leaders, who were detained in the Khapra Ward of Rajshahi Central Jail. Jail police opened fire when they had tried to protest the inhuman behaviour on the detainees, serving low quality food and depriving them from other requisite facilities allowed under the jail code by the then jail authorities.
The slain communist leaders are Sukhendu Bhattacharya of Mymensingh, Baloram Singh of Dinajpur, Sudhin Dhar of Nawabganj, Delwar Hossain and Hanif Sheikh of Kushtia, Bijon Sen and Anwar Hossain of Khulna.
In observance of the day, a 30-member team of National Awami Party (NAP), Workers Party of Bangladesh (WPB) and Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) separately placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar in front of the Khapra Ward inside the jail. Fazley Hossain Badsha, MP, led the team. They also observed one-minute silence there in memory of the slain leaders along with taking an oath of full implementation of their idealism and spirit.
Addressing a brief discussion, lawmaker Badsha called for preserving the historic ward as library and museum after necessary repairs and maintenance.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Comrade Moni Sing visited the Khapra Ward in 1972.
Marking the day, the local unit of CPB organized a discussion meeting at its office with Enamul Haque in the chair. Besides, NAP, CPB and Chhatra Union jointly brought out a procession in the city.