In his speech at a discussion meeting organized by the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) on the occasion of the historic Khapra Ward Martyrs' Day, Kazi Sajjad Zahir Chandan said, "The brave martyrs of Khapra Ward fought and gave their lives to establish the rights of the workers and farmers. They dreamed of establishing an exploitation-free socialist state, and we must continue our fight to realize that dream and aspiration."
CP of Bangladesh: struggle to establish rights of working people must be accelerated
On the 24th of April 24, CPB Central Committee President Kazi Sajjad Zahir Chandan, former President of the Party's Central Committee and Presidium Member Comrade Mujahidul Islam Selim, Central Committee Member Comrade Dr. Dibalok Singha, Britta Roy Deepa, daughter of Khapra Ward activist Comrade Prasad Roy, and Jaya Shahid, daughter of Comrade Abdus Shahid, addressed the discussion meeting. The meeting was conducted by Ariful Islam Nadim, organizer of the Party's Central Committee. At the beginning of the discussion meeting, a 1-minute silence was observed in memory of the martyrs of Khapra Ward.
Paying deep respect to the martyrs, the leaders said, the struggle of Khapra Ward is an important and significant episode in the history of our democratic and revolutionary movement. It is important to understand the struggle of Khapra Ward not only to know history, but also to find the direction for the future. The glorious story and teachings of Khapra Ward must be spread everywhere. The struggle for human liberation must be taken forward. A new generation must be raised in the line of the struggle of Khapra Ward. The ideals, struggle and sacrifice of the martyrs and warriors will show the way to the new generation. We must pay due respect to the martyrs by establishing the socialist-communist society dreamed of by the martyrs.
The leaders demanded that the martyrs of Khapra Ward be given state status and that the revolutionary story of Khapra Ward be included in textbooks.
Also, on Khapra Ward Martyrs' Day, a delegation led by Comrade Abdullah Kafi Ratan, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), placed wreaths at the Khapra Ward Martyrs' Memorial inside Rajshahi Jail and a mass gathering was held at Saheb Bazar Zero Point in Rajshahi metropolis.
On the 24th of April, 1950, the police opened fire on communist prisoners in the Khapra ward of Rajshahi Jail. Communist Party members Sudhin Dhar, Bijan Sen, Hanif Sheikh, Sukhendu Bhattacharya, Delwar Hossain, Kampram Singh and Anwar Hossain were martyred while being held captive by the police. Another 32 prisoners were seriously injured.