Freedom fighter's body exhumed for proper burial

Forty three days into his burial as an unidentified deceased, freedom fighter Abdul Latif yesterday received the posthumous guard of honour that he deserved from the state.

Muktijoddha Sangsad leaders from the district as well as Phulbari upazila were present on the occasion when they paid tribute to their comrade, covered in national flag, while honour guards saluted and played the national anthem.

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The state ceremony was conducted around 11:30am by a contingent of police, led by Assistant Commissioner (land) of Dinajpur Golam Rabbani, after the remains of Abdul Latif were exhumed from Sheikh Jahangir graveyard in the town.

Following the ceremony the remains were formally handed over to his son Mominul Islam. In the afternoon the same day, the state hero, having freedom fighter ID number 0308010686, was finally laid to rest at a graveyard of his birthplace in Jamgram village of Phulbari upazila in the district.

Latif's son Mominul Islam told this correspondent over phone yesterday, "Whatever happened, finally my father at least got the state honour."

On September 5, Abdul Latif, son of late Tozimuddin Sarker, died of serious injuries at Dinajpur Medical College Hospital. He was brought to the hospital on September 2 as an unidentified victim of a road accident in Phulbari Bus Terminal area.

On the day of the incident, 67-year-old Latif was returning home after drawing Tk 20,000 -- his two months' state allowance as a freedom fighter.

On the very day of his death, the hospital authorities forwarded necessary documents to Dinajpur Sadar Police Station to find the relatives of the deceased, said Jahangir Alam, director of the hospital.

On September 7, failing to identify the deceased, police buried Latif as an unidentified person at Sheikh Zahangir Graveyard in the town with the help of a voluntary organisation.

Latif used to live with his son Mominul Islam, a rickshaw puller by profession, at Nimnagar Balubari area in Dinajpur town.

Mominul was unaware of the incident as he was out of town on the day of the incident. He came to know of his father's death after he returned home and went to local police station to report his father missing.

This incident came to light when his son Mominul, on September 19, filed a petition at the deputy commissioner's office of Dinajpur, requesting investigation into anomalies as well as a posthumous state ceremony for his freedom fighter father.

This newspaper also ran a story on the matter on September 26.

Following the petition, a five-member probe committee, led by District Additional Magistrate Golam Rabbani, was formed on September 25 to investigate the incident, Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Mir Khairul Alam told this correspondent.

When asked why it took almost two months for the authorities to arrange the state ceremony for the deceased state hero, the DC said the state ceremony was arranged as soon as the formalities -- including confirmation of the freedom fighter's identity, ministerial instruction and court order, were completed.

Asked about the complaints filed by the son of the deceased, District Additional Magistrate Golam Rabbani, head of the five-member probe committee, told this correspondent yesterday that the committee did not find any negligence on part of the hospital authorities, the police or the Muktijoddha Sangsad.

Mominul Islam in his petition claimed that although his father had Tk 20,000 in his possession when he died, police had returned only Tk 12,000 to him. Whereas, the hospital authorities claimed to have given Tk 17,200 to police, after deducting Tk 2,800 for hospital charges. 

The remainder of the money was recovered later and handed over to Mominul, the magistrate said.