People from all walks of life, with love and respect, yesterday bid farewell to anti-British and Language Movement veteran Binod Bihari Chowdhury, a close aide to Masterda Surya Sen.
He was cremated at Abhoy Mitra Cremation Centre of Baluar Dighir Par in Chittagong last night.
Born at Dakshin Bhurshi of Chittagong, Binod Bihari passed away at Fortis Hospital in Kolkata Wednesday night at the age of 104.
His body was flown to Dhaka around noon yesterday and then taken to Central Shaheed Minar in the capital around 2:00pm.
People in their hundreds thronged the Shaheed Minar to have the last glimpse of the revolutionary, reports our Dhaka University correspondent.
Sammilito Sangskritik Jote organised the programme at the Shaheed Minar.
Political, cultural and media personalities, and people of all strata paid respect to Binod by placing wreaths. Many were seen unable to hold back tears.
The tributes started pouring in from around 2:00pm with the private secretary to the president, paying homage on behalf of the chief, taking the lead.
Mahbubul Haque Shakil, special assistant to the prime minister, and Saifuzzaman Shikhor, the premier’s assistant personal secretary, paid tribute on behalf of Sheikh Hasina.
On behalf of the ruling Awami League, its Joint General Secretary Mahabubul Alam Hanif and Telecommunication Minister Shahara Khatun paid homage while opposition BNP standing committee convener MK Anwar and BNP city unit convener Sadeque Hossain Khoka also placed wreaths on the coffin.
Communist Party of Bangladesh President Mujahidul Islam Selim, Workers’ Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, Ghatak Dala Nirmul Committee acting president Shahriar Kabir, Gonojagoron Mancha convener Imran H Sarker, Udichi President Kamal Lohani were among the people who placed wreaths on the coffin.
Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra, Samajtantrik Nagorik Oikya, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Dhaka University Teachers’ Association, Samaj Chinta Forum, and Bangladesh Juba Moitree also placed wreaths on the coffin.
The district administration provided a guard of honour to the legend.
Binod’s daughter-in-law Upali Chowdhury thanked all for their tributes and requested all to pray for the salvation of the departed soul.
A helicopter flew his body to MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong around 5:30pm yesterday. His body was then taken to Sagorika Ground where the district administration provided another guard of honour.
His body was then taken to Ram Krishna Mission and to JM Sen Hall from there, reports our staff correspondent in Chittagong.
Thousands of people, including leaders and activists of socio-cultural, political, educational, and sports organisations and businesses thronged JM Sen Hall around 7:00pm to pay their respect to the icon of the anti-British movement.
Chittagong Mayor Manjur Alam, former mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, BNP city unit president Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Industries Minister Dilip Barua, Chittagong University Vice-Chancellor Anwarul Azim Arif, Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, Jonmastami Udjapan Parishad, Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad, Chittagong Press Club, Chittagong Union of Journalists, District Teachers’ Association, AK Khan Foundation and many more organisations placed floral wreaths on the coffin.
His funeral procession started from JM Sen Hall and marched on important thoroughfares of the port city before stopping at Central Shaheed Minar of Chittagong.
The body was at the Shaheed Minar for some time during which more people and organisations paid homage before his body was taken to Abhoy Mitra Cremation Centre.
Binod Bihari was born in Chittagong in 1909. He was a co-fighter of Surya Sen in the 1930 Chittagong Armoury Raid to free India from British colonial rule.
Source: The Daily Star
