<i>Over 100 massacred by Pak forces on this day</i>

Memorial plaque at Sripur village near Sonapur rail station in Noakhali district, built in honour of around a hundred killed by Pakistani occupation forces on this day in 1971.Photo: STAR

Today is Sripur massacre day.
On this day in 1971, Pakistani occupation forces with the help of their local collaborators shot dead over 100 innocent people and raped at least 10 women at Sripur village adjacent to Sonapur railway station under Noakhali Sadar upazila.
They also looted houses at the village and shops at nearby Sonapur Bazar and set them afire.
Freedom fighter Fazlul Haque Badal, also a resident of Sripur village, said a good number of people of this village spontaneously participated in the liberation war responding to the call of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Two non-Bengali government employees, Sakhawat Hossain and MM Khan, acted as informants of Pakistani army stationed at the district headquarters.
Sakhawat was the stenographer of the then police superintendent while Khan was booking clerk of Sonapur railway station, Badal said.
Villagers said Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators led by Major Bukhari entered the village in the afternoon and killed Ali Hossain in front of Ahmadia High School.
They (occupation forces) then stormed into Hossain's house near the school, shot his brothers Ali Karim and Ali Haider dead and set fire to the house, they added.
As the villagers were running helter-skelter to get away from the attack, the occupation forces opened fire, leaving over 100 people dead.
They looted at least 300 houses and shops, set them afire and raped 10 women of the village. The horrifying memories of that day still haunt the villagers.
To mark the day, the villagers will hold a discussion meeting and doa mehfil at the village today.