Movement for ensuring war criminals' trial to continue

Freedom fighters and different political and social organisations in Thakurgaon district yesterday observed 'Jhathibhanga mass killing day' with a renewed pledge to continue movement for ensuring trial of war criminals.
On this day in 1971, thousands of people from Jagannathpur, Gorea, Shukanpokhori, and Balia unions under Sadar upazila left their homes to go to India to save their lives from the Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators, Razakars.
As they gathered at Jhathibhanga village in Sadar upazila, Pakistani soldiers, informed by Razakars and Al Badrs, rushed to the spot and killed about 3,500 people including women and children and buried them at a mass grave there.
After a silent procession and placing floral wreaths at the monument built in memory of the martyrs at Jhathibhanagar, the participants took oath to continue their movement for ensuring trial of war criminals including the perpetrators of Jathibhanga massacre.
College teacher Julfiqar Ali Bhutto, the main initiator for observance of the day, led the oath.
Later a discussion was held on the monument premises with Azizar Rashid in the chair.
“On the day, Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators beheaded many people in the area. All my family members were killed before my eyes. They also hacked me on the neck and back. As I laid down, the criminals left me for dead,” Sapandranath, 65, of Jhathibhanga village, who luckily survived the horrific massacre, said at the discussion.
“After 38 years of independence, this is first time that we are observing the day formally at Jhathibhanga village. As the criminals who led the massacre remained as influential people in the area, no one dared to take initiative for observing the day here,” he said.
Among others, district Awami League Organising Secretary advocate Fazlu, freedom fighter Abdul Karim and union Awami League leader Abul Hossain addressed the meeting.
On the same day in 1971, Razakars and Al Badrs killed about 100 people in Pirganj municipality, Kosharaniganj, Khongaon and Sindhurai unions of Pirganj upazila when they were on the way to India.
Golam Mostafa, principal of Pirganj College, and Dr Sujat Ali, president of Pirganj upazila Awami League, were among the martyrs.