Serajul Alam Khan, one of the main organisers of the Liberation War, was buried at his family graveyard after a second namaz-e-janaza in Begumganj upazila of Noakhali on Saturday (June 10, 2023). The freedom fighter and politician was laid to rest next to his mother’s grave in Alipur village under the upazila in the afternoon after a janaza at Begumganj Government Pilot School field. Earlier, he was given a guard of honour by a team of Begumganj police. His body was wrapped in his mother’s saree as per his wishes. His first namaz-e-janaza was held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Also read: Serajul Alam Khan dies: Enigmatic personality, influential politician Local lawmaker Mamunur Rashid Kiron; BNP leaders Md Shahjahan, Shimu Biswas, Abdus Salam; JSD President ASM Abdur Rob; political, social and cultural organizations expressed deep sorrow and shock at the demise of Serajul Alam. On Friday afternoon, Serajul Alam, widely known as “Dada bhai” breathed his last at the age of 82 while undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Serajul was put on life support in the ICU of DMCH on Thursday after his health condition deteriorated. Also read: Serajul Alam Khan, key Liberation War organiser, no more On Friday afternoon, Serajul Alam, better known as ‘Dada bhai’ breathed his last at the age of 82 while undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Serajul was put on life support in the ICU of DMCH on Thursday (June 8, 2023) after his health condition deteriorated. The freedom fighter was born at his ancestral village in Noakhali on January 6, 1941. Also read: Foreign Minister condoles Serajul Alam Khan's death

He (Dr. Zafrullah) just never stopped fighting his wars even after liberation. It never probably occurred to him to make peace with his battles and move on. In so many ways, he was the closest to what we would call a permanent warrior. He passed away but his battles will go on. It began in his college days when he was already infected by idealism which met his "revolutionary zeal".  The two made a potent broth that Zafrullah bhai drank and never stopped fighting for his causes, no matter how great his opposition was.  And it's amazing when both idealism and his sense of social justice are both collectively comatose, he remained loyal to them no matter what. Zafrullah bhai stands above most of us because he dared to stand taller than most around him. In all the years that I have known him , he has not hesitated to be himself.  He followed the right wagon with as much zeal as he did the occasional wrong one’s because he was a believer in people’s rights. What separated him from the rest was that he was selfless, totally driven by the idea that health was a right that all had a right to claim. And that it was one of the biggest democratic causes of them all. And he never stopped until death finally called his name. Read More: People to pay tribute to Dr Zafrullah at Shaheed Minar tomorrow The man from Sector 2      In some way, Zafrullah bhai was the perennial man from Sector 2, 1971 war. He was the helmsman of the Bisramganj hospital that  he helped establish in that war zone, not just treating the warriors but training nurses and paramedics too.  For many who were part of the 1971 war, it never really stops and he was one of them. The war days belonged to the warriors but as soon as the war was over,  the new state generated new needs and causes and Zafar bhai became a warrior for them. Fifty years later, it’s impossible to understand the kind of impact he had on society, emerging from the ashes of the war, who needed a voice to speak as audaciously as he did.   The health establishment He took on the health establishment like none had done before and in this fight, many of his fellow fighters were his old comrades from Sector 2, led by Shahadat Chowdhury, Editor of the weekly Bichitra.  Bichitra gave him a platform to reach out and become a vanguard as Zafrullah bhai launched media campaigns, health rights volunteers and also began to mobilize supporters to begin his greatest adventure, the Gonosasthaya complex. The health treatment infrastructure was not a problem but when he began his pharmaceutical company, he faced massive opposition, both national and international. But with all his warrior instincts, he fought back and though he didn’t triumph, it was not a sweat for a lost cause. Today, many aspects of the general health sector cause dismay, but in some ways, health rights are more accessible for many than they were in the early days of Bangladesh particularly in machine availability. Read More: PM mourns death of Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury The political Zafar bhai I am not sure how committed he was to politics but I think he truly believed that health rights could not be assured unless political rights were won.  So from the early days he supported causes and campaigns, supporting candidates, causes and political platforms right from the birth days of Bangladesh. Till the last day, he was doing what he thought was the right thing to do.  Due to media exposure, many will remember him more as the political person he had become in many eyes in the last decade or so than the health rights person I saw he was most committed to as a cause. We have walked together for long though his increasing political commitments and my lack of interest in political media and talk shows made meetings less frequent. But I remember one day, when we were both being tried in the same case –contempt of court- for a petition we had both signed, and were being searched by the High Court security. His frayed trouser end and his keychain got tangled and as he bent down to separate them he laughed in his own way and said, “Sometimes, I think it would be the best if I could go back to my village and become the local doctor”. Farewell Zafrullah bhai, you always were our greatest village doctor. Read More: Home Minister mourns Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury's death

Ganashasthaya Kendra founder and freedom fighter Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury has been put on life support at Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital on Monday (April 10, 2023) morning. He was put on life support as his health condition deteriorated, said Ganashasthaya Kendra press adviser Jahangir Alam Mintu in a media release. Read more: Govt suffers from 'dependency syndrome': Zafrullah  A medical board, led by Professor Brigadier General (Retd) Dr Mamun Mustafi, was formed on Sunday as his physical condition did not improve. "Zafrullah Chowdhury’s health condition deteriorated around 10:30am on Monday. Later, he was put on life support at the ICU of the hospital,” said Professor Brigadier General (Retd) Dr Mamun Mustafi. Dr Zafrullah has been suffering from kidney related complications for a long time. Read More: Zafrullah demands Tk 50 lakh compensation for families of each worker killed in Banshkhali

A freedom fighter was tied to a tree and tortured allegedly by his neighbors over a land dispute in Hathazari upazila of Chattogram. The attackers ransacked freedom fighter Ahmed Hossain’s house and later built a boundary wall on his land. Police have arrested Ahmed’s neighour Nahida Sultana in this connection. Her husband Lokman, and other main accused went into hiding. After a video on his torture caused a stir in social media, police and the UNO of Hathazari upazila went to the victim’s house. Also read: Son masterminded freedom fighter's killing in N'ganj for money: PBI Shahidul Islam, the UNO of Hathajari upazila, said, “Upon receiving information, I, along with police officers and other freedom fighters, went to the spot. The boundary wall was demolished at my command.” Also Read: Freedom fighter in Lalmonirhat murdered Ruhul Amin Sabuj, officer-in-charge of Hathajari Model police station, said a case was filed. “We detained the main accused’s wife. Steps are being taken to detain Lokman and his cohorts,” he said.    

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (February 15, 2023) handed over the keys of ‘Bir Nibash’ to valiant freedom fighters, who are financially marginalized. The Prime Minister handed over keys to 5000 houses at a programme – held in Dhaka’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium – organized by the Liberation War Affairs Ministry with the Minister AKM Mozammel Huq in the chair. The PM joined the programme virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban. The houses are being given away to freedom fighters as gifts from the Prime Minister, on the occasion of Mujib Borsho and 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence. Read more: President-elect, PM call on incumbent at Bangabhaban The project, ‘House construction for insolvent freedom fighters’ – approved by the ECNEC on March 21 last year – is being implemented at the cost of Tk 4,122 crore which will come from government funds. The main objective of the project is to construct 30,000 ‘Bir Nibash’ (houses) for insolvent freedom fighters, Birangana (women freedom fighters), widows and children of martyred and late freedom fighters. Named ‘Bir Nibash’ (Home for Heroes), each 635sqft house has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room, and a kitchen. This project is an initiative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to uplift the socio-economic status of financially marginalized freedom fighters, as well as widows and children of late freedom fighters. Read More: BALID honours six freedom fighters in the month of victory The cost of building each house is Tk 14,10,382, as per the official source. Deputy Commissioners of Narail, Madaripur, Gopalganj, Gazipur and Kishoreganj, on behalf of the Prime Minister handed over the keys in their respective areas.

Former principal of Patgram Women’s Degree College was murdered at Shahebdanga in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat district on Friday (January 20, 2023) night. The deceased was identified as M Wajed Ali, a freedom fighter and son of Basir Uddin of the village. Quoting locals, Omar Faruk, officer-in-charge of Patgram Police Station, said a group of miscreants swooped on Wajed at his house around 9:30 pm and slit his throat, leaving him critically injured. Also read: Pabna rickshaw-puller murder: Jubo League activist put on 3-day remand Wajed was taken to the upazila health complex where the doctors declared him dead. The motive behind the murder could not be known immediately. “Police are investigating the incident and legal steps will be taken soon,” said OC. Read More: Lalmonirhat mother, daughter crushed to death by train

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed shock and deep grief at the death of Pirojpur Awami League (AL) General Secretary and heroic Freedom Fighter Advocate MA Hakim Hawladar. Hakim Hawladar, 76, died Saturday night while undergoing treatment at a Khulna hospital. Read more: PM mourns Ekushey Padak winning journalist Ranesh Maitra Sheikh Hasina also prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and extended her heartfelt sympathy to the AL leader and his family. Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, a lawmaker from Pirojpur-1, also mourned the death of Hakim Hawladar.

The Liberation War of 1971 is a source of great pride for all Bangladeshis. It was a life-changing experience for the nation. Numerous Bengali men and women participated in the war directly and indirectly. However, the contributions of women are not widely discussed. Many dauntless women freedom fighters of Bangladesh fought against the Pakistan army in 1971 with weapons, medical help, food, shelter, and other ways. Today, we remember the known and unknown Bangladeshi women freedom fighters with the utmost respect. 3 Bir Protik Women Freedom Fighters of Bangladesh During the nine-month-long war against Pakistan (then West Pakistan), Bangladesh's military, paramilitary, and civilians formed Mukti Bahini which is a guerrilla resistance movement. Many brave Bangladeshi women joined Mukti Bahini. Here are three heroic women who worked directly with Mukti Bahini. Kakon Bibi Kakon Bibi was a Bangladeshi freedom fighter who also worked as a secret agent during the Liberation War of 1971. According to some sources her original name is Kaket Hennyata. She was born into a Khasi family from Nayrai Khasia Palli at Meghalaya in India. After her marriage to a Bangladeshi man, her name was changed to Noorjahan Begum. However, she was generally known as Kakon Bibi. While searching for her lost husband, she was captured and brutally tortured by Pakistani military. Later Kakon Bibi joined the Mukti Bahini, leaving her young daughter at home. She took part in around 20 front battles. She also worked as a war spy.   In the honour of her gallant contribution to the Liberation War, the Government of Bangladesh gave her the Bir Protik title in 1996. The freedom fighter died in 2018. Read More: Saida Muna Tasneem requests British govt to recognise 1971 killing as genocide Dr. Sitara Begum Dr. Sitara Begum was born in Kishoreganj in 1946. She received her MBBS degree from Dhaka Medical College. She joined the Pakistan army in 1970 as a lieutenant in the medical corps. She, along with her brother Major Abu Taher Mohammad Haider was stationed in Comilla Cantonment. When the Bangladesh Liberation war started, Dr. Sitara Begum and her family moved to Meghalaya. A Mukti Bahini hospital was located inside India to operate during the war. Dr. Sitara then was appointed as the commanding officer of the hospital. After the independence of the country she returned Dhaka. For her invaluable support to freedom fighters during the Liberation War, Dr. Sitara Begum was also honoured with the Bir Protik title. Read More: 1971 and the Elderly   Taramon Bibi Taramon Bibi was born in 1956 at Shankar Madhabpur village in Kurigram. She was the daughter of Abdus Sobhan and Kulsum Bewa. When Taramon joined Mukti Bahini, she was only 14 years old. Though a teenage girl at that time, Taramon fought bravely with weapons against the Pakistani army. She fought in Sector 11.  For her courageous role in resisting the Pakistan military in direct battles, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman awarded her with the Bir Protik title in 1973. As her location was unknown at that time, the award was not handed over to her. A researcher from Mymensingh discovered Taramon Bibi in 1995. Bangladesh’s then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia finally awarded her on December 19, the same year. The brave hero died on December 1, 2018. Read More: Jamaat, which was behind killings of intellectuals in 1971, BNP's main associate: Info Minister Women Who Made Major Contribution to the Liberation War of Bangladesh Not all women got the scope to fight against the Pakistani army face-to-face with weapons in the front battles. Numerous Bengali women took care of the wounded freedom fighters and supported the fighters with food, shelter, and money. Women were also victims of sexual violence during the war. Geeta Kar Geeta Kar, one of the freedom fighters who fought against the Pakistani army in 1971, was born in Rajbari. Geeta was only 15 at the time of the war. The Pakistani army killed her father on May 5, 1971. That incident shocked her so much that she left home – leaving behind her mother and younger siblings. She started her journey to India. She walked nine days and finally reached India and enlisted her name in the Mukti Bahini. She joined the camp on July 2, 1971, and took training on guerrilla warfare. Like Geeta, more than 200 women in the training group had lost their family members and were eager to take revenge. Read More: 1971 loss a ‘military failure’, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal says after ex army chief called it ‘political failure’ Shirin Banu Mitil Shirin was a second-year student at Pabna Edward College in 1971. Getting inspired by Bangabandhu’s speech on March 7, Shirin joined the Liberation War to fight against the Pakistani army. She had to face numerous problems in direct combat. However, her determination helped her to find an alternative, and finally, she found that by disguising herself as a boy. Rounak Mohal Dilruba Begum Although Dilruba Begum did not take part directly in the battle, she played the role of a trainer and prepared six groups of young people for fighting. She inspired lots of people and encouraged them to join the Mukti Bahini to fight for the sake of the country. Read More: Imran Khan accuses Pak army of recreating 1971-like situation Ferdousi Priyabhashini The renowned Bangladeshi sculptor Ferdousi Priyabhashini was brutally abused by the Pakistani army and their collaborators in 1971. She did not take part in the Liberation War directly but made supreme sacrifices. In one interview, she said that after independence, she faced another ordeal and trauma when society refused to accept her as she was abused during the war. She felt isolated and that isolation led Priyabhashini to take refuge in sculpture. In 2010, Government of Bangladesh awarded Priyabhashini Independence Day Award. Rokeya Begum Rokeya Begum was pregnant when the war broke out. Her husband was a freedom fighter and he brought his fellow fighters to his home. The local razakars became angry at Rokeya for providing food to the freedom fighters. But Rokeya ignored that and decided to take food to the nearby island where the freedom fighters had camped in. Read More: 'Recognising the Bangladesh Genocide of 1971': ICSF welcomes US Congress initiative Bottom Line Bangladesh earned its independence through the sacrifice of millions of men and women. As we celebrate Victory Day, let’s honour the contribution of women who directly or indirectly participated in the Liberation war of 1971 and made supreme sacrifices. 

Group Captain Shamsul Alam (retired) Bir Uttam died Thursday at the age of 74.He was a brave fighter of "Kilo Flight," the code name for Mukti Bahini combat aviation formation during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Group Captain Shamsul breathed his last at 4:47pm at the capital's Evercare Hospital, according to the Inter Service Public Relations Directorate. He was born in 1947 in Patuakhali district. In 1964, after completing his education in Dhaka, he joined the then Pakistan Air Force Academy in Risalpur in 1964 and was commissioned in the GD (P) branch. On June 3, 1971, he deserted his post in West Pakistan and came to Dhaka to join the Liberation War. But he was arrested immediately after his arrival at Dhaka airport as the Pakistan law enforcers realised he would join the Liberation War. Unable to make him confess, they tortured the then Flight Lieutenant Shamsul in jail and tried to bring him under the jurisdiction of a court-martial but failed. He was later released from jail on a general amnesty and was allowed to return home. On September 13, 1971, after contacting the freedom fighters through a news correspondent, he left the country for India. Read: Former minister Ghulam Mostafa dies aged 88 He reached Dimapur on 24 September and met the members of Kilo Flight. Initially, he started flying with DC-3 and subsequently flew Otter aircraft. On December 3, 1971, Flight Lieutenant Shamsul along with his co-pilot got the first opportunity to prove their skill against Pakistani occupation forces. He flew from Kailashahar at 11pm and entered Bangladesh to strike oil depots near Chattogram airport. He returned to the base after a terrible flight with extreme craftsmanship avoiding enemy gunfire. He was awarded the gallantry award Bir Uttam by the government. Group Captain Shamsul was also awarded the Independence Award 2017 for his outstanding contribution to the Liberation War.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of valiant Freedom Fighter Sheikh Abdul Hakim, a member of the famed Swadhin Bangla football team.  In a condolence message, she said that the country lost one of the best sports personalities due to his death. Read: PM expresses condolences at Mohiuddin's passingShe prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.