The New Nation - Internet Edition

Ramiz Khan

The remains of Birshreshtha Sipahi Mohammad Hamidur Rahman were finally brought back to his beloved country yesterday with due respect and solemnity after long 36 years into his martyrdom during a battle with Pakistani occupation forces.

Youngest among the seven Birshreshthas, the Liberation War hero will be laid to rest today at Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard at Mirpur in the capital with full state honour.

Hamidur's remains will be brought to the National Parade Square in Dhaka by road today. Starting at 6:00am from Comilla, a vehicle of the military police will reach Tejgaon Old Airport at 10:30am.

The remains will be transported through the city in a ceremonial motorcade.

President Iajuddin Ahmed, also the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, will receive the remains of Birshreshtha Hamidur on behalf of the nation and place wreath on the coffin. Members of the three services will present a guard of honour. Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed and other Advisers will attend the programme.

"A 21-gun salute will herald the arrival of the remains," Abul Kasem Mahbubul Alam, secretary of Liberation War Affairs Ministry, said. After a namaz-e-janaza, the remains of Hamidur will be carried to the Intellectuals' Graveyard at Mirpur in a ceremonial motorcade and will be laid to eternal rest just opposite to Birshreshtha Motiur Rahman.

Hamidur embraced martyrdom in a gunfight while attacking a base of the Pakistani forces on the Dholoi border in Sylhet on October 28 in 1971. He is one of the seven warriors, who were posthumously conferred Birshreshtha, the country's highest gallantry award, for their role during the War of Independence.

After the remains of Birshreshtha Flight Lieutenant Motiur Rahman were brought back on June 24 last year from Pakistan, the freedom fighters and family members of Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman urged the government to take steps for bringing back his remains.

Earlier, the remains of valorous martyred freedom fighter were brought through Bibirbazar land port in Comilla from the neighbouring Indian state of Tripura by road at 2:21pm. Thousands of people as well as military and civil officials of both countries were present at that time.

Earlier, the remains of Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman were brought at the 'zero point' of the Indian side of the border by a car of Tripura Rifles from Agartala Circuit House at about 2:14pm, where Acting Commander of 19 BSF Sree Wasni Yogi placed wreath on the coffin. Afterward, a smartly turned out contingent of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) led by 11 Battalion Assistant Commander Sree RSK Saxena presented a guard of honour and the remains were handed over to Acting Commander of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in Comilla Lt Col Noor-e-Alam at about 2:40pm.

Receiving the coffin, a smartly turned out contingent of BDR presented guard of honour to Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman at the border. Led by Havilder Afaz Uddin, driver Keramat Ullah of a pick-up van (Kurigram-11-0005) of BDR drove the coffin to a short distance. At about 3:00pm, Major Md Lutful Hasan received the coffin on behalf of the Commander of 34 Bengal Regiment of Bangladesh Army and wrapped the coffin with the national flag. At 3:05pm, a team of Bangladesh Army led by Mofazzal and Khairul picked up the coffin on their shoulders and kept the remains on 'Tiger Minor,' a well decorated podium. Behind the podium there was a large portrait of Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman. At about 3:13pm, Area Commander of 33 Infantry Division, Comilla Major General Abdul Hafiz, psc placed wreath on the coffin and a team of the Bangladesh Army presented a guard of honour there. They stood in solemn silence as the bugle played.

At 3:16pm a brief life-sketch of Birshreshta Hamidur Rahman was read out by Army officer Lt Col Md Shafiqul Huq Chowdhury. At 3:22pm Moulana Zakir Hossain conducted a munajat seeking blessings of the Almighty Allah for the eternal peace of the departed soul. Later, Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Hosayn Jamil, Noor-e-Alam on behalf of the freedom fighters, Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Md Manzurur Rahman, Police Super Shahidul Islam and other noted persons placed wreaths on the coffin paying their profound respect to the memory of Birsreshta.

At 3:37pm another contingent of Bangladesh Army put the coffin on a military vehicle carrying it from the podium. Later, a contingent of military police took the coffin to Mainamati Cantonment parading main thoroughfares in Comilla town. At that time, thousands of students of schools and colleges, teachers and people paid their deep respect waving the national flag.

Earlier, when the remains of Birshreshta Hamidur Rahman were brought at 'zero point' in the Indian side of the border at about 2:14pm, Sonamura sub-division administrator Anindtya Bhattacharya, Sonamura Panchayet chief Shyamal Chakravarty on behalf of the Tripura state government and leaders of different local organizations placed wreath on the coffin.

According to reports from India, the Tripura government yesterday formally handed over the remains of Hamidur to the Joint Secretary of Liberation War Affairs Ministry Humayun Kabir Khan.

A seven-member Bangladesh delegation led by Humayun left for Tripura on Friday to bring back the remains of the valiant war hero who was buried at East Roypara in Hatimarachara town of Dholoi district in Tripura.

Meanwhile, receiving the remains of Birshreshtha Sipahi Mohammad Hamidur Rahman 36 years after the independence, his younger brother Fazlur Rahman turned emotional yesterday.

"Inhabitants of Khorda Khalishpur including me and my family members now feel proud," Fazlur Rahman told The New Nation while handing over the remains of the Birshreshta at the zero point of Bangladesh-India border yesterday.

The 35-year-old Fazlur Rahman, who was among the seven-member Bangladesh delegation that went Tripura on Friday to bring back the remains of the valiant war hero, said, "We're proud receiving the remains of my brother 36 yaers after the independenece."

Expressing regrets, he said despite repeated requests to the previous governments by his mother Kaisun Nesa to bring the remains of her son back home, no governments pay any heed to their requests. "However, though the present caretaker government made sincere initiatives to bring back the remains of my brother, my mother's last wishes had remained unfulfilled. My mother had dreamt to bury the remains of her son on the soil of this country bringing back from India. Though the caretaker government fulfuilled that dream, my mother could not see the remains as she died on February 21, 2005," he said.

Fazlur Rahman said the government had been providing them Tk 5,000 as honarium over the last three years.

Replying to a question, he said they used to some grants on the Independence Day and Victory Day in the past.

He, however, said the government had built a pucca house for them in 1981.

Fazlur Rahman also expressed his deep gratitude to those who had made great efforts to bring his brother's remains back to the homeland.