RU recalls martyrdom of three teachers today

13 December 2009, 17:00 PM

A RU Correspondent

Observing the Martyred Intellectuals Day today, Rajshahi University (RU) will commemorate the sacrifices of three RU teachers who borrowed martyrdom during the Liberation War. On the occasion, the university authorities have chalked out elaborate programmes including placing wreaths, rally, reminiscence and Qurankhwani. The Pakistani army killed RU mathematics department teacher Prof Habibur Rahman, Sanskrit department teacher Prof Sukhranjan Samaddar and Psychology department teacher Prof Mir Abdul Kayum during the Liberation War. Prof Habibur Rahman, a protesting voice of the university, directly took part in protest against the atrocities of Pakistani army in March 1971. He stayed on the campus with his family although most of the residents left the campus when Pak army attacked the area. He kept regular contact with the Mukti Bahini and Bangali members of the then East Pakistan Rifles (EPR). On April 15, Pak soldiers led by Brig Aslam and Col Taj picked him up from his house and took him to Jubery Bhaban on the university campus. The building was used as Pak army's 'concentration camp and torture centre'. Prof Habibur Rahman never returned nor was his body found. Prof Sukhranjan Samaddar gave shelter of a tired EPR soldier at his house for a night. Getting the information, Pak army searched the house on April 14. Failing to find the EPR man, the Pak soldiers took Prof Samaddar to Jubery Bhaban as a RU psychology department teacher, who worked as a collaborator of the occupation forces, identified him (Prof Samaddar) as a Hindu. Later his body was found in a mass graveyard adjacent to the university near Binodpur Bazar. On the night of November 25 in 1971, Pak soldiers picked up Prof Mir Abdul Kayum from his father-in-law's house at Goramara in the city with the help of a university staff. His body with slit throat was found in a mass graveyard on the bank of Padma River on December 30.