Mother of 4 martyrs wants war criminals punished
Rokeya Khatun's four sons and a son-in-law sacrificed their lives in the Liberation War but the family is yet to get any state recognition or assistance during the 40 years of independence. Sight of the photographs of her martyred sons and son-in-law often bring the woman, now 85, memories of the turbulent days of Liberation War. She has demanded punishment of war criminals while her two living sons expect that the state recognise her as 'mother of martyrs' before it is too late. After the Pakistan army started massacre of the freedom-loving people of Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) on the night of March 25 in 1971, Rokeya's eldest son Mozammel Hossain, then a captain serving the Pakistan army, revolted and joined the Liberation War, like many of his colleagues. Inspired, his brothers Mosharaf Hossain Ranju, then a student of masters final year, Mostak Hossain Aunju, a first year student of Dhaka University, Mokarram Hossain Mukul, sub assistant engineer of Pabna District Board, Monsur Hossain Monju, accounts officer of Water Development Board, and brother-in-law Eusuf Ali, an officer of the then state bank, also joined the war, said Mozammel's younger brother Mobakkhar Hossain Biju. Biju and his younger brother Mozafffar Hossain Miju were too young to join the war. Capt Mozammel, also the commanding officer of Sector 7, survived with bullet injuries that he sustained in a front fight with the Pakistan occupation army while five others borrowed martyrdom in the Liberation War, family members said. Mozammel died on November 29, 2002. "Our brothers Ranju and Aunju were martyred in a front fight on December 8. Hearing the news, Mukul, Monju and Eusuf rushed to their Madhubag residence in Dhaka on December 12," Biju told this correspondent. "The same day, local collaborators of the Pak army caught them from there and took them to an unidentified place. The three never returned," he said. “Five members of our family sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War but our family is yet to get proper recognition for it,” said Miju, the youngest son of Rokeya Khatun. "Shortly after the independence, our retired schoolteacher father also died and our family underwent much hardship. We have not got any government assistance during the last 40 years," he said. “I feel proud that my sons sacrificed their lives for the country's independence. Now I want to see punishment of war criminals because they were responsible for killing of my sons as well as hundreds of thousands others,” Rokeya said.
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