Surviving the horrors of August 15
A surviving family shared their horrors of August 15, 1975 at a memorial discussion in Barishal yesterday, the last day of the month of mourning.
District Administration organised the programme at the city’s Bangabandhu Udyan, the first of its kind in the division.
Around 20,000 people -- including teachers and students of different educational institutions -- joined the event where 14 victims and witnesses were present.
The victims broke into tears and demanded speedy trial of the perpetrators responsible for the tragedy.
Shahan Ara Begum, daughter-in-law of then agriculture, power and irrigation minister Shaheed Abdur Rab Serniabat, described her experience as the main speaker.
Hearing gunshots, her family members woke up in the early hours of the day. A group of army men broke open the door of their Minto Road residence in Dhaka before the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“At that time, my father-in-law phoned Bangabandhu,” she said. As soon as Shaheed Abdur Rab, brother-in-law of Bangabandhu, asked the group who was their commanding officer, the culprits shot him dead, she said.
“They also killed my four-year-old son Sukanta Abdullah,” said an emotional Shahn Ara.
Immediately after, her four other family members -- including Arif Serniabat and Baby Serniabat -- experienced the same fate one by one.
Afterwards, they left the scene and came back minutes later. “At that time, I was shot in the back as the perpetrators started firing again,” he recalled the memories.
“My 18-month-old son Serniabat Sadikq Abdullah, who was on my lap, fortunately escaped the gunshots,” said Shahan Ara.
“In connection with the killings, I filed a case with Ramna Police Station. The trial of the case is still going on,” she said.
Abul Hasanat Abdullah, minister (designated), another survivor and son of Abdur Rab Serniabat, demanded speedy trial of the case after forming a commission for investigation.
Khondokar Zillur Rahman, another witness and member of a musical group at that time, said, “After a cultural programme, we spent the night at minister Abdur Rab’s residence. One of our group Abdur Naim Khan Rintu was killed and around six others were injured in the attack.”
Minister Abul Hasanat was present as chief guest at the memorial programme with Deputy Commissioner SM Ajior Rahman in the chair.
Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, the incumbent mayor of Barishal City Corporation, also spoke on the occasion.
State Minister for Water Resources Zaheed Farooque was present as guest of honour. Besides, lawmakers in the district, and upazila chairmen and vice chairmen, among others, attended the programme.
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