Leaders, activists and different sections of people demanded immediate execution of the convict killers and arrest of the absconding criminals to mark the eighth death anniversary of the slain leaders yesterday.

JSD and its front organisations observed the day holding separate discussions in the district yesterday.

An armed gang killed Aref, the central president of JSD and one of the organisers of country's Liberation War, along with his four local party colleagues when he was speaking out against political violence at a rally at Kalidaspur village in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia district on February 16 in 1999.

Bullets riddled the body of the leader, as soon as he finished speech and was about to leave the rostrum. His colleagues, all from Kushtia, died while trying to save him.

The four who died with Kazi Aref are Kushtia district JSD President Lokman Hossain, General Secretary Yakub Ali and other party leaders Israil Hossain and Somser Ali.

Verdict of the case was announced on August 30, 2004 where 10 people were sentenced to death and another 12 to life imprisonment.

The convicts with death penalty are Ilias Hossain and Sahir Uddin of Talbaria, Bakkar of Kishorinagar, Mannan Mollah of Pachabhita, Anwar, Jhantu and Jahan of Kursha, in Kushtia district and Jalal of Baliashisha, Safayat Hossain of Rajnagar and Rowsan of Bhabanipur in Meherpur district.

Of the convicts, Mannan Mollah, Jahan, Jalal, Rowsan and Baker are still absconding.

The convicts with life imprisonment are Nuruzzaman Laltu of Kairadanga in Chuadanga, Rofat and Asgar of Talbaria, Faraj, Tashir and Garesh Sardar of Kalidaspur, Majid of Hridoypur, Mohid of Talbaria, Mahatab of Rajnagar, Oliar of Pagla, Akubbar of Malihad and Tikka of Kursha in Kushtia.

Of them, Mahatab, Oliar and Akubbar are evading arrest, while another absconding Mohit was killed in 'crossfire' with police on February 12, 2005 after arrest.

JSD President Hsanul Haq Inu blamed 'political inaction' for not bringing the killers into book.

"A political intervention was behind the trial since its beginning, as a result although police pressed charge against the real killers, the court could not punish them," Inu told this correspondent over cell phone yesterday. He demanded arrest of the killers whose names were dropped by the immediate past BNP government.

When contacted Rowsan Jahan Sathi, wife of Kazi Aref, said the government should execute the verdict because people want to see punishment of the killers.