RAJSHAHI, April 24, 2024 (BSS)- The historic 'Khapra Ward Day' was observed
today at Rajshahi Central Jail and in the city paying rich tributes to seven
detained communist political prisoners who were killed in 1950.
 
A 31-member team of Workers Party of Bangladesh (WPB), Communist Party of
Bangladesh (CPB) and National Awami Party (NAP) placed floral wreaths on the
memorial plaque in front of the historic Khapra Ward inside the Rajshahi
Central Jail.
 
In addition to placing wreaths at Shaheed Minar in front of the Khapra Ward,
inside the jail, they observed one-minute silence there in memory of the
slain leaders.

WPB General Secretary Fazley Hossain Badsha, central committee members
Rafiqul Islam Piarul, Debashish Pramanik Debu, Ashraful Haque Tota, Advocate
Abu Sayeed, Abul Kalam Azad and Sirajur Rahman were present on the occasion.
 
The historic records said, on this day in 1950, the then on-duty jail guards
following the order of a jailer shot dead seven communist party leaders, who
were detained in Khapra Ward of Rajshahi Central Jail, when they tried to
protest the inhuman behaviour meted out to them.
 
The detainees were served low quality food and deprived of other requisite
facilities allowed under the jail code at the instruction of the then jail
authority.
 
The slain communist leaders are-- Sukhendu Bhattacharya of Mymensingh,
Baloram Singh of Dinajpur, Sudhin Dhar of Nawabganj, Delwar Hossain and Hanif
Sheikh of Kushtia, Bijon Sen and Anwar Hossain of Khulna.
 
In observance of the day, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and Comrade Moni Singh visited the Khapra Ward in 1972.

After the country's independence, Bangabandhu built a memorial plaque in
front of the Khapra Ward to make the memory of the seven martyred communist
leaders live forever.
 
Marking the day, the city unit of WPB organised a discussion at its party
office. Local unit of CBP also organised a meeting at its office.
 
Besides, WPB, NAP and Chhatra Union jointly brought out a procession in the
city marking the day.