‘Khapra Ward Day’ passed again silently due to Covid-19

The historic ‘Khapra Ward Day’ passed on Saturday without any formal programme for the second consecutive time due to the coronavirus pandemic, reports BSS.

The Rajshahi units of left-leaning political parties, including Workers Party, Communist Party and National Awami Party postponed their scheduled programme for the second time.

Various political parties had long been observing the day every year in a befitting manner at Shaheed Minar in front of Khapra Ward inside the Rajshahi Central Jail paying rich tributes to seven detained communist political prisoners who were killed in 1950.

According to the historic records, on this day in 1950, the then on-duty jail guards following the order of a jailer shot dead seven communist party leaders, who were kept interned at Khapra Ward of Rajshahi Central Jail, as they tried to protest the inhuman behaviour meted out to them.

The slain communist leaders were Sukhendu Bhattacharya of Mymensingh, Baloram Singh of Dinajpur, Sudhin Dhar of Nawabganj, Delwar Hossain and Hanif Sheikh of Kushtia and Bijon Sen and Anwar Hossain of Khulna.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Comrade Moni Sing visited the Khapra Ward in 1972.