Date:11/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/11/stories/2007121155770900.htm

International

Remains of war hero returned to Bangladesh

Haroon Habib

DHAKA: The remains of Hamidur Rahman, one of Bangladesh’s seven independence war heroes given the highest gallantry award ‘Bir Shrestha,’ were brought back home from India after 36 years.

Hamidur Rahman, a Bengali sepoy of the then Pakistan army, was killed in a fierce battle against the Pakistani forces at a village on October 28, 1971. He was buried in Tripura.

Earlier on Monday, senior Indian leaders and officials in a ceremony, attended by thousands of people, handed over the coffin containing the remains to a Bangladesh delegation at Hatimarachara in Tripura.

Guard of honour

The Indian troops gave the Bangladesh’s independence war hero a guard of honour.

The seven-member Bangladesh delegation, led by a joint secretary of the Liberation War Affairs Ministry, was in Tripura to receive the remains of the Bir Shrestha.

Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed will receive the remains at a ceremony to be held at the National Parade Square on Tuesday.

From Comilla, the remains will be brought to Dhaka tomorrow in a ceremonial motorcade to reach the National Parade Square. A 21-gun salute will herald the arrival of the remains in the Parade Square.

The remains will then be taken in a ceremonial motorcade to the Martyred Intellectuals’ graveyard at Mirpur .