Sun 25 Jun 2006
Comment from a fellow Drishtipat friend-
Some positive news from back home as Fl. Lt. Matiur Rahman’s remains have finally been brought back to Bangladesh. What an absolute disgrace that one of the greatest heroes of our liberation war was kept buried in Pakistan, that too marked as a traitor, for almost 35 years! Anyway, better late than never!
From Banglapedia
Rahman made a secret plan of hijacking an aircraft. His aim was to join the liberation forces with the hijacked plane. On the morning of 20 August Pilot Officer Minhaz Rashid was scheduled to fly in a T-33 aircraft from Masrur Airbase in Karachi with Matiur Rahman as his trainer. The T-33 aircraft was code-named ‘Bluebird’. During the training flight Matiur Rahman attempted to take control of the aircraft into his own hands, but failed. The plane crashed in Thatta, a place near the Indian border. Matiur’s dead body was found near the crash sight, but no traces of Minhaz’s dead body could be discovered. Matiur Rahman was buried at the graveyard of fourth class employees at Masrur Airbase.
Matiur Rahman was awarded the highest state title of honour ‘Bir Srestha’ in recognition of his patriotism and sacrifice.
More on wikidipia on this
This is another instance of what diaspora can do. This campaign to bring him back home started in Houston a couple of years ago with this petition. Slowly it gathered momentum and officials moved to make this happen. Kudos to all who has been proactive on this to give proper respect to this great hero of our war.
June 26th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
Sad part is Nizami, our honorable minister, called Birshrestro Motiur Rahman a “Ghatak”.
I wonder if he was there during the arrival of the body.
June 29th, 2006 at 9:08 am
The true hero was Rashid Minhas, a 20 year old who realized Matiur Rahman had hijacked the plane and was heading to India. Minhas challenged him and caused the plane to crash. He achieved his martyrdom and sent the traitor and hijacker Matiur Rahman to hell.
Pakistan Paindabad.
July 7th, 2006 at 1:30 am
My teacher Ms Milly
Suddenly, there is so much discussion about Bir Sreshtho Matirur Rahman. And rightly so. He has finally been laid to rest in his homeland. At last, his soul will be able to breathe in the musty smell of Bangla’s soil. For this, he paid with his life. For this, he waited for thirty-five years.
Now, after such a long time, I also remember Ms Milly, as we used to call her in Holy Cross School. Ms Milly Rahman, the widow of Matiur Rahman, was our class teacher in class 7. She always used to tell us about 1971. I still vividly remember how she told us one rainy afternoon, when we pressed her to tell us a story instead of doing boring class work, about her own life in Pakistan. I remember how she told us about the stories of Birangona women and the trauma they endured. I remember how she told us about her own personal struggle after the war. We were children then. But I clearly remember the tears in her eyes, her sadness, her memories of fear for her children, that moved all of us.
I don’t know if children in schools in Bangladesh are now lucky enough to listen to such personal and moving accounts by their teachers of Bangladesh’s glorious history. But we were deeply touched by her narratives. We were proud of our national heroes.
I believe, many of my cohorts from Holy Cross School, who are spread all over the world thought of Ms Milly on this special occasion. When we read the Bangladeshi newspapers on the internet we were reminded of our times in school and her contribution in providing us with a glimpse of our history. We are deeply grateful for that.
I was inspired by that afternoon’s reminiscence and who knows? Maybe that also encouraged me to write my PhD thesis on the Liberation War and peoples’ lived experiences in post-conflict Bangladesh.
I am content for Ms Milly, and my classmate Mahin and her younger sister Tuhin. Now the family will be able to be near Matiur Rahman. They will be able to visit him, whenever they wish. I wish I was there to pay my respect. But I am sending my respect from a distance. Finally, one of our heroes, received the honour he deserved long ago. Maybe with this positive spin, the sacrifice of many others will come into light. Maybe our country will recover from its national amnesia.
Dr Bina D’Costa
Convenor, Security-Analysis, The Australian National University
July 7th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Dear Bina, would be possible to read your thesis on the Liberation War? I’d very much like to read it. Thanks.
August 8th, 2006 at 1:17 am
wow.
it’s about 3pm aug.8. I just typed in my mothers name on Google and here I am can’t believe all these complements about my mother and her great courage.
She will be very proud.
Thank you.