Remains of Hamidur reach Comilla town

Dhaka, Dec 10 (bdprem.com)—The remains of war hero Hamidur Rahman reached Comilla town Monday afternoon. Corrected bdprem.com's Comilla correspondent reports: Hundreds of people stood on both sides of the road and showered the coffin of Hamidur with flowers when the body arrived at 4:10pm. The coffin will be taken to Dhaka Tuesday afternoon for a ceremonial burial, after an overnight stay at Comilla cantonment. The body of Hamidur, killed fighting Pakistani forces and buried in India almost four decades ago, was exhumed and taken back home. Hamidur died in 1971 while raiding a Pakistani military post. Fellow fighters carried away Hamidur's body and buried it in a village in neighbouring India which supported Bangladesh's war of independence. The 17-year-old freedom fighter's remains were dug up from a grave in Hatimarachara village in Tripura Sunday and handed over to a Bangladeshi delegation. "We have come here to take the body ahead of our victory day celebrations," Sajjad Ali Zahir, a delegation member, told Reuters, referring to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971. The coffin was draped in a Bangladeshi flag and handed over with full military honours. Hamidur is the youngest of seven war heroes posthumously conferred Bangladesh's highest gallantry award for their role in the freedom struggle.