Gallamary bears 1971 genocide mark

The horrific Gallamary mass grave in Khulna still bears the marks of butchery that took place 51 years back during the liberation war.

The notorious Pakistan army had chosen the spot to slaughter the freedom fighters and pro-liberation people of the region, turning it into a place of execution.

Commander of Mujib Bahini (BLF) in greater Khulna during the Liberation War Sk Quamruzzaman Tuku, 78, in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, has given a depiction of mass killing and brutality by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators.

He said the occupation forces dumped the bodies of freedom fighters and innocent Bangalees at several places including Forest Ghat, Customs Ghat, Bhairab River and Gallyamary after torturing and killing them.

Of them, Gallamary in Khulna, 3 kilometres from the main city, was found as the biggest mass grave in the area after the Liberation War.

Gallamary still bears the horrendous acts of the Pakistan army and their collaborators like Razakars, Al Badars and Al Shams in the region, he added with moist eyes.

S M Babar Ali, a valiant freedom fighter and a writer, in his “Swadhinatar Durjoy Avijan” book, said, “I visited several times the Gallyamari mass grave area where I witnessed hundreds of decomposed bodies, skull and numerous skeleton, bones and jaws.”

“I was thundered witnessing brutality by the Pakistani army in association with local collaborators,” he described saying that they (the Pakistani army) dumped the freedom fighters’ bodies at Gallyamary after killing them.

Shariar Kabir, President of Ekattorer Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee, wrote in his “Ekattorer Dussho Smrity” book that, “Innumerable bodies and skulls were found at Gallamary after the victory in 1971.”

Quoting sculptor Ferdousi Priyobhasin, the book said numerous decomposed bodies and skulls were dumped on paddy and jute fields and elsewhere.

Some of the bodies were discarded even three to five days before December 17, 1971, as Khulna was freed on that day.

Binoy Krisna Sarker, a veteran Freedom Fighter and the then chief of Batiaghata upazila Mujib Bahini (BLF) during the Liberation War said, “We could not forget the role of FFs Shanti Lata Saha and her dearest friend Rafi during the war.”

Shanti Lata, daughter of Abinash Saha, of Damodar Saha Para village under Fultala upazila in the district organized her college friends and joined the Liberation War, Sarker said, adding that she was raped and killed by the local razakar bahini.

The brave female war hero’s body was also dumped at Gallamary, Sarkar said with grieved voice adding that she did not abandon her dearest motherland though her family members left Bangladesh for India.