Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said on Thursday that declaring ‘Jail killing Day’ as a national day of mourning is a matter of a decision from the government’s high-ups.

The ruling party is commemorating the Jail Killing Day on Thursday (November 3) to pay tribute to four national leaders and close aides of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who were killed inside Dhaka Central Jail in the old part of the city on the day in 1975.

Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, M Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman were murdered on the day while in state custody.

Following the military coup on August 15 in 1975, when Bangbandhu along with most of his family members were killed, a series of politically motivated killings took place amid a tumultuous political scenario.

On Thursday, Quader paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahmam at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the capital as part of the commemoration of the day.

Read more: Jail Killing Day to be observed Wednesday

About the demand from the assassinated leaders’ families to declare the day as a national mourning day, Quader said such a decision is a matter to handle from the government’s high-ups.

The ruling Bangladesh Awami League began the day by hoisting the national flag and party flag at half-mast at its central and district offices across the country at dawn.

Party leaders placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the capital at 7:00am to mark the day.

Wreaths were also placed at the graves of Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Mansur Ali at Banani graveyard around 7:30am while fateha, milad-mahfil and munajat were offered there.

Read more: Aug 15, jail killings prove conspiracy against independence, people: PM

Floral wreaths were also placed at the grave of AHM Qamruzzaman in Rajshahi where prayer sessions, offering fateha and milad mahfil were held, marking the day.

The ruling Awami League will hold a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital at 3:00pm when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will speak.