February 14: The Valiant Day
February 14 should be a day of mourning for the valiant who sacrificed lives on the first day of the spring in 1983. I am talking about the martyrdom of Selim, Delower, Dilip Saha and Kanchan, who were shot with bullets and crushed under police vans while protesting against the anti-people education policy of the then tyrannical janta. Their martyrdom paved the way to form an all-party alliance of students based on the 10-point demand for a scientific, secular, democratic, one channel education policy that finally ousted the brutal regime of the time.
There used to be a small memorial for those martyrs near “Shikkha Bhaban”, which was later replaced. If a monument cannot be built, there should at least be a name plate where we can pay our respects with flower wreaths.
We must remember and salute these valiant spirits who sacrificed their lives for our development.
Rezaul Amin
Social Activist, Dhaka
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