Bangladesh commemorates martyrdom anniversary of pro-democracy movement hero

DHAKA, Nov. 10 (NsNewsWire) — Bangladesh Monday observed the Shaheed Noor Hossain Day with due honour and solemnity commemorating the young pro-democracy activist whose death sparked an uprising that overthrew an autocracy.
Noor Hossain was an activist of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party who was killed by the Bangladesh Police on Nov. 10 in 1987 while protesting against President Hussain Muhammad Ershad near zero point in Dhaka.
Zero Point was later renamed Noor Hossain Square and the anniversary of his death is officially commemorated each year as Shahee Noor Hossain Day. He is one of the most widely known martyrs from Bangladesh’s pro-democracy movement.
Noor Hossain caught the imagination of the nation with the slogans “Down with autocracy” written in white on his bare chest and “Let Democracy Be Free” on his bare back.
Demonstrators for democracy recall that Noor Hossain’s presence on the day’s street agitation was unavoidable until he was shot dead.
His death added momentum to the movement for democracy which eventually turned into a mass uprising that led to the fall of military ruler Hussain Mohammad Ershad on Dec. 6, 1990.
Different political and socio-cultural organizations including Bangladesh Awami League party and ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party placed wreaths at Zero Point.
Leaders of different organizations recalled Noor’s glorious sacrifice in establishing democracy in the country and urged all to strengthen it further.
Ershad has recently termed the days as the ‘inception of democracy’ in the country.
He said, “November 10 marks the inception of democracy in the country. We’ve relished the taste of democracy through this day outshining the military rule.”