<i>Memorial for martyrs after long 40 years</i>

Wreaths were placed on the newly built memorial for martyrs at Chararhaat killing spot in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur district yesterday.Photo: STAR

Chararhaat mass killing spot in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur district has got a memorial for the martyrs 40 years into the incident.
According to the witnesses, Pakistani occupation army with the help of their local collaborators killed at least 98 people at this place on October 10 in 1971.
Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, vice-chancellor of Dhaka University inaugurated the memorial as chief guest yesterday morning.
Professor M Afzal Hossain, vice-chancellor of Haji Danesh Science and Technology University, cultural personality and one of the leaders of Bangladesh Sector Commanders Forum M Hamid, and Nawabgan Upazila Parishad Chairman Shibli Sadique were present as special guests.
Financed by local philanthropists, Dinajpur chapter of Bangladesh Sector Commanders Forum built this memorial on the mass killing spot.
Speaking at a discussion at the mass killing site, Prof Arefin Siddique said such massacre spots across the country will remain as evidence of brutal killing of unarmed and innocent people by Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators.
“We should preserve these spots to project the real pictures of genocide carried out by Pak army during the Liberation War before our next generation,” he added.
Syed Mokades Hossain Babul, general secretary of Dinajpur chapter of Sector Commanders Forum and commander of Dinajpur District Muktijoddha Sangsad, Nawabganj Upazila Chairman Md Shibli Shadique also addressed the discussion meeting chaired by Abul Kalam Azad, chief of Dinajpur chapter of Bangladesh Sector Commanders Forum.
The speakers urged the government to take steps to persevere the mass killing spots across the country.
Md Mozammel Haque, one of witnesses to the killing, said Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators picked up at least 67 people from Prankrishnapur village and 31 people from Andalgram village of the upazila in the early hours of October 10 in 1971.
They took the villagers to Chararhaat, lined them up and shot them dead in the morning, he added.