Graves of Liberation War martyrs lie in neglect

Visitors of Pakshey railway office in Pabna's Ishwardi upazila are often surprised to see the awful condition of five graves of Liberation War martyrs near the Pakshey divisional railway office, often try to read the nearly deleted plaques.

The graves carry the mortal remains of a doctor, his three sons and a relative who sacrificed their lives while trying to save others of the railway colony.

Besides, there are graves of 15 to 20 martyrs in the area but no step has been taken to preserve their memory during the 49 years after independence.

Pakistani occupation army along with their local collaborators attacked Pakshey railway colony and the divisional headquarters of the railway West Zone on the night of April 12 in 1971 and killed 15 to 20 people, mostly railway employees, at Juktitola, Babu Bazar, Merinpara and Pakshey Bazar para area.

When they advanced to the railway officers quarters, resident medical officer of Pakshey railway hospital Dr Rafik Ahmed along with three sons and a relative tried to prevent them.

But the brutal force killed Dr Ahmed Rafik, his three sons Zia Uddin Dulal, Saifuddin Mamun and Raich Uddin Shamim and relative Aminul Haque in front of the hospital's residence. while Rafik's wife and daughter somehow saved themselves by hiding in a corner.

The occupation army dumped the five bodies near the water tank of the railway.

The next day, the residents of the rail colony buried them beside Amtola Road near Pakshey divisional railway office.

After the Liberation War, freedom fighters made concrete walls and coverings on the graves and set nameplates of the martyrs but those are decaying due to the lack of maintenance. 

"Dr Rafik Ahmed and his family provided food, shelter and treatment to the freedom fighters during the early stage of the Liberation War, defying life risk. At one stage he embraced martyrdom," prof Abul Kalam Azad, a freedom fighter, told The Daily Star.

"Steps should be taken to keep the memory of Dr Rafiq and other martyrs in the area alive for the future generation," he said.

"Next year we are going to observe the 50th anniversary of our independence. But it is unfortunate that we do not keep the memories of many martyrs like the doctor and his family members in Liberation War," said Md Amirul Islam, a primary teacher of Pakshey.

Contacted, Md Asadul Haque, Pakshey divisional railway manager, said, "Now we are trying to identify all the mass killing spots and mass graves of martyrs in the railway colony area. We have a plan to preserve the mass graves and build a monument in the railway colony area for the sake of keeping memory of the Liberation War."