The Genocide Day-2024 was observed Monday in Khulna as elsewhere in the country commemorating the brutal attacks carried out by Pakistani occupation forces on the unarmed Bengalis on the black night of March 25 in 1971.
The District Administration and other socio-cultural organisations including Khulna city and district unit Awami League (AL) chalked out elaborate programmes to mark the day.
Khulna district administration organised a discussion at the auditorium of Khulna Deputy Commissioner’s Office with Khulna DC Khondokar Yasir Arefin in the chair.
Khulna Divisional Commissioner Md. Helal Mahmud Sharif addressed the meeting as the chief guest.
Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Mozammel Haque, Additional DIG of Khulna Range Police Md Hasanuzzaman, Superintendent of Police Md Sayedur Rahman, ex-Commander of City Unit Muktijoddha Command Council Professor Md Alamgir Kabir and ex-Commander of District Unit Muktijoddha Command Council Md Mahbubur Rahman addressed it as special guests.
“The genocide, carried out by Pakistani occupation forces on March 25, is a brutal and grievous incident in the history of Bangali Nation,” the speakers said, adding that it is also a black chapter in the history of mankind.
“The Pakistan military committed one of the worst genocides in modern history in the eastern wing of Pakistan, now Bangladesh, from March to December 1971.
As many as three million people were killed, thousands were raped, and some 10 million people were displaced and had to flee the country.”
“The Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators swooped on Bangalees and started killing, oppression, gang-raping, fired and looted valuables during nine-month long genocide that began on the black night on March 25 in 1971,” they said.
A symbolic black-out will be observed for one-minute from 11:00pm to 11:01pm. Apart from this, a photo exhibition was held at Khulna District Shilpakala Academy on the occasion of Genocide Day.
Marking the day, the Department of Press Information (PID) Office has screened a film on “Genocide and Liberation War” in the city’s Shaheed Hadis Park.
The city and district units of AL also organised a rally in the party office with city unit AL President Talukder Abdul Khaleque in the chair.
On the occasion, special prayers were offered at all mosques and temples, churches and other worship places in memory of the martyrs on the night of March 25 after Zohr prayers.
