The day is known as Jail Killing Day.

A group of disgruntled army men gunned down Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, AHM Quamruzzaman and Captain M Mansur Ali, four close associates of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975.

The killing episode came two months and 18 days after Bangabandhu along with most of his family members were assassinated in a military putsch.

The four leaders led the Bangladesh government in exile during the Liberation War. Syed Nazrul Islam was the acting president, Tajuddin Ahmed prime minister, M Mansur Ali finance minister and AHM Qamaruzzaman was the minister for home affairs, relief and rehabilitation.

After a long delay, the verdict of the historic Jail Killing Case came last year, but it could not soothe the families of the great leaders as they rejected the verdict and called it a politically motivated farcical trial.

On October 20 last year, a Dhaka court sentenced three to death, awarded life imprisonment to 12 and acquitted five others in the long-awaited verdict of the case.

Ruling BNP lawmaker KM Obaidur Rahman, Shah Moazzem Hossain, Nurul Islam Monzoor, Taheruddin Thakur and Additional Secretary to foreign ministry Khairuzzaman, who were freed on bail soon after the ruling coalition came to power in 2001, were acquitted of the charges.

But, while delivering the verdict, Judge Mohammad Motiur Rahman came down heavily on the investigation officer (IO), saying all the killers could not be punished due to the "farcical investigation."

All the convicts are former army personnel. Of the total 21 charge-sheeted accused, three are in custody, five on bail, 12 have been evading arrest, and one died.

To mark the Jail Killing Day, the main opposition Awami League and its front organisations have drawn up elaborate programmes.

The AL will hoist the national and party flags at half-mast and black flags at party offices in Dhaka and elsewhere across the country. Leaders and workers will also wear black badges.

The programmes include garlanding the portrait of Bangabandhu, placing wreaths at the graves of the national leaders at Banani graveyard and offering fateha and organising milad mahfils and special prayers.

The party will also hold a discussion at the auditorium of Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on November 12, with party chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair.