Protests demand reinvestigation and retrial of Ratan Sen murder case

On the 34th death anniversary of Comrade Ratan Sen, a former member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and a key organiser of the Liberation War, a protest rally and procession were held in the capital demanding reinvestigation and retrial of his murder case.

The rally, organised by the Comrade Ratan Sen Brigade in front of the National Press Club on Friday (July 31), heard speakers recall that Ratan Sen was brutally killed outside the office of the Khulna Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police on July 31, 1992, yet justice remains elusive.

The rally was chaired by Kartik Chakraborty and conducted by cultural activist Sumana Soma. Speakers included former CPB general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, Kirity Ranjan Biswas, Syed Lutful Haq Mithu, Niaz Fatema Siddiqui Shilpi, Hasan Hafizur Rahman Sohel, Zahid Hossain Khan, Bikash Saha, Sekendar Hayat, Mushikul Islam Shimul, Hasan Tareq and leaders from various political, labour and cultural organisations.

The rally put forward a three-point demand: revival and swift disposal of the Ratan Sen murder case pending with the Appellate Division; bringing the masterminds to justice through reinvestigation or judicial inquiry; and construction of a memorial or institution in Khulna in his name, as well as inclusion of his biography in textbooks.

After the rally, a protest procession marched from the National Press Club through various streets and concluded at the CPB central office in Paltan.