Zoha Dibash, the 54th Martyrdom day of Shahid Dr Syed Mohammad Shamsuzzoha, was observed at Rajshahi University and in Rajshahi city with due honour and esteem through various programmes.
On this very day of Feb-18,1969, Dr Shamsuzzoha, the then teacher of the department of Chemistry and Proctor of Rajshahi University was brutally killed by gun-shots and bayonet charges by the Pakistani mercenaries in front of the main gate of RU campus. Dr Zoha is the first Bangalee martyred intellectual in the country who laid down his life during the Mass-upsurge movement of 1969. There is no instinct of any martyrdom of Banglee intellectuals before his sacrifice during the democratic movement of the country.
Students and teachers of Rajshahi University have, however, expressed their disappointment and resentment at the government's silence on the declaration of the day of martyrdom of Shahid Zoha as the 'National Teachers' Day' as they have been demanding it for a long time.
Dola Khatun, a student of the department of Law of RU in this connection said, it is pity that the mass-movement of 1969 which was intensified to a mass-upsurge with the martyrdom of Dr Zoha still remains unrecognised throughout the country and the programmes of the great sacrifice of Shahid Zoha is still observed in a limited scale at RU and in Rajshahi city only which is a shame for our nation. She demanded to declare the Feb-18 as the National Teachers' Day by the government so that it may be observed throughout the country in a befitting manner.
Shamsul Haque Tuku, Deputy Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad in this connection informed, he was utterly disappointed and angry that even after 54 years of the martyrdom of Dr Shamsuzzoha, his contribution to the country's independence has not yet been recognised. As a former student of RU, he demanded the government to declare the day as 'National Teachers' Day'.
Various organisations of RU including RU authorities, the Department of Chemistry of RU and Prothom Alo Bondhusova observed the day with various programmes. Members of Prothom Alo Bondhusova were holding placards demanding to declare the day as National Teachers' Day.
It is learnt, during the mass-upsurge movement in 1969, students of RU also launched a movement at the RU campus which soon spread to the adjacent areas of the campus. To deter the student movement, the military authorities declared Section-144 in East Pakistan and the military was deployed to quell the movement. By violating section-144, RU students started agitation by blocking the main street in front of RU's main gate on the Feb-18 morning. To save the students from the retaliation of the Pakistani army, Dr Shamsuzzoha, the then Proctor of RU, rushed to the street in front of the main gate and tried to refrain the Pakistani armed forces from shooting the students. But, without obeying his request, Pakistani Amry Captain Abdul Hadi shot Dr Zoha with his pistol and injured him critically on the spot around 11-00 am. Injured Dr Zoha was then taken to the Rajshahi Municipality Office in an army convoy and there the army butchered Dr Zoha with bayonets ensuring his death.