The family of valiant freedom fighter Abdus Sattar along with local veterans has expressed deep outrage after the 78-year-old was buried without a state-mandated guard of honour in Brahmanpara upazila, Cumilla.
Abdus Sattar, a former official of the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Law passed away due to old-age complications at his son’s residence in Dhaka on Thursday. Following an initial funeral prayer in Dhaka and his body was brought to his home village of Mahalakshipara in Brahmanpara at around 5:30 PM. His final funeral prayer took place at 6:00 PM followed by burial at his family graveyard.
Although a police team equipped with bugles had arrived at the venue to conduct the ceremony but the guard of honour could not proceed due to the absence of an upazila administration official.
Brahmanpara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Faruk Hossain confirmed that police personnel attended the funeral but stated the ceremony required the presence of an administrative representative to proceed.
"This is deeply painful" said Abdus Sattar Molla, a fellow freedom fighter from the area. "Even if a guard of honour could not be provided after sunset the administrative representatives should have at least paid their final respects. Show of such disrespect toward a comrade-in-arms is intolerable."
The deceased’s younger brother Shahjalal, echoed similar anger, stating that the family felt compelled to proceed with the burial despite the absence of state recognition.
Addressing the issue, Brahmanpara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Munni Islam stated that administrative rules prohibit hoisting the national flag or presenting a guard of honour after sunset. She added that the administration had made initial preparations but uncertainty surrounding the body's arrival time from Dhaka and a lack of timely communication from the family after Maghrib prayers prevented the delegation from attending.
Local Freedom Fighter Commander Idris Mia Master also noted that while preparations were initially in place also late arrival of the body past sunset made the formal ceremony impossible under standard protocol.
