Freedom fighters yesterday demanded trial and punishment of the killers of Liberation War's Sector-2 Commander Khaled Mosharraf, who had been assassinated during a military uprising on November 7, 1975.

"We want maximum punishment," Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozzamel Haque told a seminar in memory of the K-force commander, who had been conferred the Bir Uttam gallantry award, in the capital's Bangladesh National Museum, as the chief guest. Freedom fighters of sector-2 organised the event.

"We never thought that those who led the war would be taken away from us in such a manner," said Asaduzzaman Kamal, state minister for home affairs.

The speakers said failure to eliminate the anti-liberation war elements resulted in the killing of many freedom fighters after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975.

On November 3, 1975, Mosharraf led a coup and ousted Khandaker Mostaque Ahmed, who had been made the president by Bangabandhu's killers. Mosharraf was later killed in a counter coup along with Col Najmul Huda, and Col ATM Haider.

Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shymol Dutta said a white paper of what exactly happened between November 3 and 7 of 1975 should be published and a case should be filed for trial of the killings that took place during that time.

Md Nazrul Islam Hiru, a freedom fighter and state minister for water resources, said the truth would come out once the incidents of that period were put together. Lawmaker Mahjabeen Khaled, also daughter of Khaled Mosharraf, told The Daily Star that her mother was hoping to file a case in this connection this month.