North Bengal Sugar Mills to observe 'Shaheed Day' today

North Bengal Sugar Mills will observe "Shaheed Day" today in memory of those who embraced martyrdom on this day during the Liberation War in 1971.

The Pakistani occupation forces killed Language Movement veteran and freedom fighter Lt Md Anwarul Azim, the then administrator of the sugar mill at Gopalpur in Natore, along with more than 150 officers and employees of the mill and dumped the bodies into a pond on its premises.

With this, the Pakistani army took revenge on Lt Azim, who with his fellow freedom fighters handed them a crushing defeat at Gopalpur Rail Station gate.

Moreover, he had ordered that the Ishwardi Airport be blown up. The government this year gave Azim highest state award, Swadhinata Padak- 2018 (posthumous), for his great contribution in the Liberation War.

In recognition of his role in the war, Gopalpur Rail Station was named Azim Nagar at the instruction of Bangabandhu in 1974 while a commemorative stamp was published in 1994. The pond was named Shaheed Sagar.

On the occasion, a Qurankhwani, milad mahfil and discussion will be held while a barefoot silent procession will also be taken out to mark the day.