Jail Killing Day is set to be observed today marking the assassination of four top Awami League leaders in jail.
Four top Awami League leaders 鈥� Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain M Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman 鈥� were assassinated inside Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975.
The killing took place during the rule of another AL leader Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmad after the assassination of the country鈥檚 founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and all but two of his family on August 15, 1975.
The four leaders played a key role in forming the Mujibnagar government, which led the War of Independence in 1971, with Syed Nazrul Islam as the acting president, Tajuddin Ahmad as the prime minister, M Mansur Ali as the finance minister, and AHM Quamruzzaman as the home, relief, and rehabilitation minister.
The Awami League is set to observe the day in a limited scale as the party has been absent from open political activities since the ouster of the AL government and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 escape to India on August 5 amid student-people uprising.
The party in a statement posted on its verified Facebook page said that the party would observe the day with the utmost respect.
It said that wreaths would be placed at the graves of Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Mansur Ali at Banani graveyard today. The party, however, mentioned no schedule.
Additionally, the AL will pay tribute to AHM Qamaruzzaman by placing wreaths at his grave in Rajshahi.
鈥業n remembrance of our four national leaders and all martyrs of the liberation war and democratic movements, special prayers will be offered,鈥� the statement said.
The Awami League also urged all leaders, activists, supporters and its allied organisations, as well as political, social, and cultural organisations across the country to participate in discussions and events highlighting the significance of this day.
When the Awami League assumed power in 1996, the government initiated a trial against the accused of the assassination by revoking an indemnity law that was protecting the accused from being tried.
On October 20, 2004, after a protracted trial, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court declared 15 of the 20 accused, guilty and released the other five. All 20 accused were former military officers. Of the 15 convicted, three fugitives were given the death penalty and 12 were sentenced to life term imprisonment.
The three death sentence recipients are Sergeant Moslem Uddin, Sentry Marfot Ali Shah, and Sentry Mohammad Abul Hashem Mridha.
On August 28, 2008, a High Court acquitted six of the convicted accused. The court released two鈥� Sentry Marfot Ali Shah and Sentry Mohammad Abul Hashem Mridha鈥� who were earlier given death sentences.
The four other people who were released are retired Lieutenant Colonel Syed Faruqe Rahman, retired Lieutenant Colonel Shahriar Rashid Khan, retired Major Bazlul Huda and retired Lieutenant Colonel AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed.
The four, however, were convicted in the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case and executed on January 27, 2010. In 2012, the Jail Killing case was reopened at the Appellate Division.
On April 30, 2013, the court dismissed the 2008 verdict given by the High Court and upheld the 2004 judgment that convicted the 15 accused.