KHULNA, May 20: The 53rd Chuknagar Genocide Day was observed here on Monday in a befitting manner. Various programmes were organized to mark the day.
Khulna District administration and different socio-cultural organizations placed wreaths at the monument, a memorial built near the Bhadra River in memory of 71 martyred.
The days events began with hoisting the national flag at the Chuknagar Ganohattya-71 Srimti Boddhyabhumi in Dumuria Upazila.
Later on, Khulna District administration, Chuknagar Ganohattya-71 Smriti Rakkha Parishad, Chief Coordinator of Amra-71-Dhaka Samiran Sarker, Central Coordinator Imrul Chowdhury, Central Coordinator Iftekhar Rajib, Khulna Mahanagar Bangabandhu Parishad, Dumuria Upazila Muktijoddha Command, Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee, Bangabandhu Parishad and Jashore Udichi placed wreaths at 11 points of the river where Pakistani army left bodies of innocent Bengalis after killing on that day in 1971.
A discussion meeting was also held at the genocide memorial.
President of Chuknagar Ganohattya-71 Smriti Rakkha Parishad ABM Shafiqul Islam presided over the meeting while Acting Principal of Chuknagar College Monirul Islam conducted it.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Al Amin addressed the meeting as the chief guest while Amra Ekattor Dhaka organization leaders and Helal Foyezi, among others, spoke.
Speakers urged the government to declare May 20 as National Mourning Day to pay respect to the victims of Chuknagar massacre and trial of the war criminals at any cost.
They demanded to produce the evidences of Chuknagar Genocide before the Geneva Convention for justice and for building a Global Standard Liberation War Memorial, Research Centre and auditorium.
A cultural function was arranged to pay respect to the martyrs of the War of Liberation in 1971.
On May 20, 1971, a few thousand men, women and children, mostly belonging to minority communities, were slain by Pakistan occupation forces at Chuknagar where they gathered to go to India.
The forces sprayed bullets on them from light machine guns and semi-automatic rifles killing them on the spot within a few hours.
The victims of the massacre hailed from Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Jashore and Gopalganj districts.
They had assembled at Chuknagar in Dumuria Upazila to flee to India through nearby border route.
