Shaheed Noor Hossain Day was observed across the country on Tuesday with major political parties taking fresh vows to consolidate democracy and ensure the people’s fundamental rights. On this day in 1987 Noor Hossain, a young pro-democracy campaigner, was killed in police firing near Zero Point in Dhaka during demonstrations against the autocratic regime of HM Ershad. With the slogan ‘Down with dictatorship’ inscribed in white paint on his chest and ‘Let democracy be freed’ on his back, the youth took the centre stage of that day’s street agitation until he was callously shot dead.

The killing of Noor Hossain, a Juba League activist, further fuelled the movement and turned the struggle for democracy into a popular uprising that led to the fall of Ershad on 6 December, 1990. Since then political parties and social and cultural organisations have been observing the 10th of December as Shaheed Noor Hossain Day.

President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia issued separate statements, paying tributes to the martyr and highlighting the significance of the day. Members of socio-political and cultural organisations commemorated the pro-democracy martyr and mourners wore black badges and placed flowers at Noor Hossain Square in Zero Point where he was killed, and on his grave at Jurain in Dhaka.

Awami League presidium member Matia Chowdhury, Obaidul Kader and Satish Chandra Roy led the AL in placing wreaths at Noor Hossain Square. Wreaths were also placed on behalf of the prime minister. Matia, addressing a small gathering, said that conspiracies are being hatched to confine democracy in a cage. She urged the opposition to try to gain power in a democratic manner, otherwise the consequences would be dire for the whole country.

Leaders of the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, placed wreaths at Noor Hossain Square. Its associate body of students Jatiyatabadi Chahtra Dal held a discussion at Bhasani Auditorium in Naya Paltan. Speaking at the discussion, the BNP secretary general, Khandaker Delwar Hossain, said the ruling grand alliance has become a tryst of the collaborators of the fallen autocrat. ‘Those who had welcomed martial law and those who had ruined the lives of thousands of youths in the name of establishing scientific socialism have joined hands in the grand alliance,’ he said.

Leaders of the Communist Party of Bangladesh placed flowers at Noor Hossain Square and before the portrait of party leader Aminul Huda Tito who was also killed on that day. They paid tributes to Noor Hossain and Tito and said that autocratic and evil forces could never be the friends of democracy. They said that both the major parties had stood by the fallen autocrat for the sake of their political interest and urged the people to organise a leftist alternative to these two mainstream parties.

The Jatiya Samajtrantrik Dal, Democratic Left Alliance, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote, Jatiya Sramik League, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Left Democratic Alliance, Ekattarer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee and Pachattarer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee were among the organisations which paid tributes to the fallen hero at Shaheed Noor Hossain Square. The Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote also held a discussion at its office which was chaired by Tarana Halim MP. The Shaheed Noor Hossain Society hoisted a black flag atop its office and mourners wore black badges to mark the day.

-New Age