The 54th martyrdom anniversary of Bir Shreshtha Ruhul Amin and Bir Bikram Mohibullah was observed in a befitting manner at Bangladesh Navy Headquarters in Khulna on Wednesday.
On the occasion, Commander Khulna Naval Region Rear Admiral AKM Zakir Hossain laid a wreath and provided a guard of honor at the martyrs’ memorial in the morning. A large number of officers and naval personnel of the Khulna Naval Region were present. Later, special prayers were offered.
After Zuhr prayers, special munajat was offered in all mosques of the Khulna Naval Region, for the brave freedom fighters who were martyred in the Great Liberation War. Officers and naval personnel of the Khulna Naval Region were present on the occasion.
On this day in 1971, just six days before the nation’s final victory, Engine Room Artificer of Bangladesh Naval Ship (BNS) Palash, Ruhul Amin embraced martyrdom at the bank of the Rupsha River where he had reached after swimming around quarter kilometre of the river from the Ship.
Earlier, BNS Palash captured Mongla Port from the Pakistani occupation forces after a fierce gun battle. The Naval Ship Palash was advancing towards Khulna to conquer the industrial city from the Pakistani Bahini.
As the ship reached near the Shipyard area, a fighter plane hurled bombed targeting the BNS Palash. Mohibullah, Bir Bikrom, a staff of the ship, was killed on the spot and the rest naval staff jumped into the River Rupsha.
Ruhul Amin managed to escape the bomb attack but he was killed by the Anti-Liberation Forces who collaborated the then Pakistani Army during the Liberation War of the country in 1971.
On the next day, Ruhul Amin along with Mohibullah was buried at Bagmara Village under East Rupsha area in the district.
Khulna Development Authority (KDA) has built a memorial complex surrounding their graveyard in 1997.
