CHATTOGRAM, Jan 24: The Chattogram Mass killing Day was observed in the city on Wednesday commemorating the murder of 24 people in 1988. People placed wreaths at the memorial plaque at Court Building premises.
The incident took place during the regime of military dictator HM Ershad.
On January 20 in 2020 a court sentenced five people to death in a case filed over the incident.
On January 24 in 1988, as many as 24 people were killed and over 200 others injured when police opened fire on motorcade of the then chief of the 15-party alliance Sheikh Hasina at Laldighi Maidan.
On this Day, Awami League activists who were rallying in the streets of the port city with Sheikh Hasina were attacked by the police. The then CMP Commissioner Mirza Rakibul Huda ordered the police to open fire on the rally that left at least 24 people dead.
The official statement from the government estimated that nine people were killed on that day.
On January 24 of 1988, Sheikh Hasina, the then President of Awami League with a group of AL bigwigs arrived in the second largest city Chattogram in the morning.
Later she led a procession on a truck to the venue of the meeting at Laldighi maidan.
Her procession was intercepted in front of Kotwali intersection of the city. Police barricaded the road in front of Kotwali Police Station. When the crowd tried to remove the barricade and move ahead, the CMP Commissioner Mirza Rakibul Huda ordered his force to open fire upon the crowd instantly.
The indiscriminate firing of police took the life of at least 24 people that day. Hundreds of people were injured. Sheikh Hasina escaped the attack as a number of activists surrounded her and formed a human wall around her.
The massacre took place around Muslim Institute, KC Dey Road, Nandakanan, Amtola and Court Building area.
Almost after five years of the massacre Shahidul Huda, a lawyer, filed a murder case against 46 perpetrators including the CMP Commissioner Mirza Rakibul Huda in 1992.
In 1996, CID of Police was given the charge to investigate the case. CID submitted a charge sheet on 12 December 1997. A complementary charge sheet was filed on December 3 of 1998. On May 9 of 2000, the court framed charge against eight of the 46 suspects. All of them were police. Among the convicts, Inspector Govinda Chandra Mandal remained absconding since the case was filed. Other convicts were released on bail in 2003. Constable Bashir Ahmed and Constable Abdus Salam died natural death.
A memorial plague was set up in citys court building premises in memory of the people killing on that day.
Meanwhile, after long 32 years of the Chattogram Mass killing of 24 people a Chattogram court sentenced five people to death on January 20 in 2020 last. The testimonies of 53 witnesses have been completed in the court of Chattogram district and Session Judge Ismail Hussain. Among the total of 168 witnesses, 53 persons have appeared to testify before the court.
Chattogram District and Sessions Judge Md Ismail Hossain handed down the verdict.
The court also sentenced them to 10 years imprisonment each in the case. Each of the convicts was also fined Tk 50,000.
