New mass grave of liberation war identified in Madaripur

A mass grave thought to be related to the country’s liberation war was found while workers were digging earth for construction of an establishment in Mohammadpur upazila of Magura district on Tuesday, reports UNB.

The workers said they spotted human bones, skulls and teeth during the digging for the construction of the agricultural gears conservation building adjacent to the old hall room inside the upazila parishad.

Locals claimed that the remains were of the common people who were killed during the country’s liberation war in 1971.

Abdul Hai, former deputy commander of the upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad, said the occupying Pakistani forces and their collaborators set up a camp on the roof of the old hall room of the upazila parishad during the war.

“The skulls found were of the common people who sacrificed their lives for the country during a fight between the freedom fighters and anti-liberation forces on November 19 in 1971,” he said.

The commander also said two brothers who were freedom fighters-Ahmad and Mohammad and another freedom fighter Mohammad Ullah of the then East Bengal Regiment among others were killed during the fight.

The construction workers assumed that more skulls, bones and other parts of the bodies will be found once digging is continued there.

The upazila nirbahi officer said they came to know about the matter in the morning and directed to bury those under earth following religious rituals alongside a corner of the upazila premises.

Abul Kalam Azad, chief imam of the upazila central mosque, said the remains were buried following the religious rules in presence of the UNO, OC, freedom fighters and others.