22th death anniversary of ‘Shaheed Janani’ today

The 22nd death anniversary of Jahanara Imam, known as ‘Shaheed Janani’ will be observed on Sunday.

Jahanara Imam, the mother of martyred freedom fighter Shafi Imam Rumi spearheaded the movement for trial of the war criminals to bring to trial those who committed crimes against the humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

Jahanara Imam, pro-liberation politicians, prominent cultural personalities and intellectuals formed the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee on January 19, 1992.

The committee organised symbolic trial of Ghulam Azam in a Gono Adalat (mass court) at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan on March 26, 1992 awarding the Jamaate-e-Islami supremo with capital punishment.

After leading the movement for two and a half years, eminent writer and social worker Jahanara Imam breathed her last due to cancer on June 26, 1994.

Different socio-cultural organisations will observe the day through various programmes.

Poet and architect Rabiul Hussain said Jahanara Imam had united all pro-liberation forces through the Gono Adalat, he added. The trial of top war criminals is taking place following the course of her movement, he added.

Jahanara Imam was born in Murshidabad of West Bengal in India on May 3, 1929.

Her book "Ekattorer Dinguli" (Diary of Ekattor) is a documentation of the Liberation War.