Tripura CM pays homage to Bangla Liberation War hero

Agartala, Dec 10: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today paid homage to Bangladesh Liberation War hero Hamidur Rahman at Agartala Circuit House during a send-off ceremony of the mortal remains of the martyr.

The Tripura government on sunday formally handed over the mortal remains of Rahman to a seven-member delegation, led by the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Bangladesh Liberation and War Affairs Humayun Kabir in Ambassa, which has taken back home today for a ceremonial burial on the eve of the 37th Independence Day of Bangladesh.

The Coffin was kept for public view in Agartala Circuit House till forenoon today while para military forces offered guard of honour to the freedom fighter.

Mr Sarkar said, "Tripura would always remember the events of 1971 Liberation war and respect the martyrs." Hamidur, a 17-year-old freedom fighter in the first East Bengal regiment of the Mukti Vahini (Liberation Force), had died in a base camp of the Pakistani army at Paharmura, located near West Tripura's Khowai subdivision in 1971.

On October 28, 1971, Rahman, on the order of his company commander, single-handedly launched an attack on a base camp of Pakistan's 39th Frontier Force near Paharmura with two hand grenades. He demolished two enemy machine-gun posts before being killed after crawling over 500 meters.

India handed over the remains of Bangladeshi war hero Hamidur Rahman Sunday to Dhaka, 36 years after he was buried in Ambassa area of Dhalai district. Hamidur Rahman is one of the seven heroes honoured with the highest gallantry award in Bangladesh - Bir Shreshtha - for their contribution in the Independence War of 1971.

The Bangladeshi delegation, including Hamidur's younger brother Fajlur Rahman, had reached here to bring back the remains. The coffin would be taken by road to Comilla through the Bibirbazar post on the Indo-Bangladesh border this afternoon.

According to Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Bangladesh Liberation and War Affairs Humayun Kabir, the coffin would be ceremonially received by Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed at National Parade Ground at Tezgaon and would be reburied at the graveyard reserved for freedom fighters at Mirpur on the outskirts of Dhaka.

UNI