Four national leaders were killed to create a political void: Quader

The killing of four national leaders was aimed towards creating a void in the country's leadership, said the ruling Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader.

"Bangabandhu was killed to make sure we are left with no guardian and on 3 November the four national leaders were killed to create a void in the leadership of pro-liberation forces," Quader said during an event on Wednesday, organised by the Awami League at its headquarters marking the jail killings day.

"It is clear that domestic and foreign conspirators orchestrated the massacre and killings of '75 to avenge the defeat of '71,'' he added.

Quader said, "The most brutal assassination in the history of politics took place on 15 August 1975 at the historic residence of Bangabandhu in Dhanmondi, where the father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family were killed. Even innocent child Rasel could not survive."

"On 3 November, Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain M Mansur Ali and AHM Kamruzzaman, the heroic organisers of the liberation war, were brutally assassinated inside the jail, which is supposed to be one of the safest places," the veteran leader added.

"The assassins, led by Khandaker Mostaq, killed the four national leaders in the dark of night," he said.

He further mentioned that many incidents have taken place from 3 November to 7 November. Many armed forces officers were also killed in prisons. 

"Time has come for revealing a great deal of true history," he said adding, "Ziaur Rahman, the commander of Mostaq, sent the killers abroad safely after the 3 November massacre. They were even rewarded with jobs at Bangladeshi embassies abroad. Then Mostaq issued an ordinance that these murderers would not be tried. General Ziaur Rahman gave it legitimacy."

"Quader said that through the killing of the four national leaders, the seed of communalism was sown in the country," said Quader. 

Govt making every effort to implement jail killing case verdict: Home Minister.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that the government is doing everything it can to implement the verdict of the jail killings case.

After paying floral tributes to the portraits of Bangabandhu and the four national leaders at the old central jail in the morning, he said two of the most heinous killings took place in Bangladesh – one was on 15 August and the other on 3 November.

Sohail Taj, who was present at the time, said, "Apart from punishing the murderers of the four national leaders if the biographies of these leaders were included in the school, college and university curriculum, the new generation would be inspired and more helpful in building Shonar Bangla in the future."