21 killing grounds in Satkhira still unprotected

A mass grave, just beside the Liberation War memorial at Kalaroa football ground in Kalaroa upazila of Satkhira district, shows signs of utter neglect. Photo: STAR

Twenty-one killing grounds bearing horrifying memories of 1971 massacres by the Pakistani occupation forces have remained neglected in absence of any government initiative to preserve them.
Visible marks of many killing grounds and mass graves have disappeared during the last 38 years while local influential people have grabbed most of the killing grounds, locals said.
On April 20 in 1971, Pak army killed about 1500 people in Satkhira Town High School building and adjoining places and buried them in mass graves in the residential areas near the school at Katia in the town.
A number of skeletons, bones and skulls were recovered from the mass graves in the area shortly after the December 16 victory.
Over two thousand people, mostly women and children, met tragic death as the Pak army opened fire on a large number of people, fleeing to India in fear of life, at Jhhowdanga Bazar in Sadar upazila on April 26, 1971.
The victims were buried at Jhhowdanga mass grave.
Pak soldiers killed nine innocent people at village Sreepatipur Palpara in Kalaroa upazila on April 28.
The victims were buried at the same village.
Eleven freedom fighters, who sacrificed their lives in a fierce fight with the Pak army at Bhomra in Sadar upazila on May 29, were buried there.
On June 12, freedom fighters killed at least 59 Pakistani soldiers in a fierce fight at Sreepur in Debhata upazila.
Eight freedom fighters, who borrowed martyrdom in the fight, were buried at Sreepur.
On August 14, five freedom fighters were killed in a fight with Pak army at Gopalnagar in Shyamnagar upazila and buried at Gopalnagar the following day.
The occupation forces and their local collaborators killed over two hundred innocent people and buried them at Kalaroa football ground, Panchnal, Bamankhali, Bhadiali, Chandanpur, Khordo and Madra mass graves.
The Pak forces killed several hundred people at Mahmudpur, Sultanpur and Bakal Bridge in Sadar upazila and buried them there during the Liberation War.
Graves of martyred freedom fighters and innocent people are also found in other areas of the district.
"Twenty one killing grounds and mass graves have so far been identified in the district while many others have remained unmarked," said Abu Bakar Siddique, former member secretary of Satkhira unit of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad.
Local people and freedom fighters have urged the government to build monuments at every killing grounds and mass graves to keep memories of the Liberation War alive for the future generation.