English
Bengali
Go back to the time when you just turned 18 and officially became a young-adult person. You were ready to face the world by handling the difficult situations with great passion and determination, right? Now, your country has gotten into a war. Would you choose to risk your life and start fighting for the country, or would you just stay back thinking about the possible good future days of your life?
In 1971, the 18 year old boy Hamidur Rahman met with such a situation. The Liberation War of Bangladesh had started 1 month after his 18th birthday. That time, he decided to give up himself for the sake of the country. He joined the Bangladesh Army and fought hard against the Pakistani Army till his last breath. With his young yet strong hands, he took the responsibility of his country. He died but his contributions and efforts in the war led Bangladesh to get closer to the winning spot. He unfortunately could not survive to live in an independent Bangladesh.
The commitment and dedication that Hamidur Rahman displayed for the country, should motivate us to have these qualities in our life too. So now, let us look inside the brilliant story of this young boy.
Life of “Bir Sreshtho Hamidur Rahman” at a glance:
Real Name: Hamidur Rahman
Date of Birth: 2 February 1953
Birth Place: Khalishpur village, Moheshpur thana, Jhenaidah district, the then East Bengal, Pakistan, currently in Bangladesh
Date of Death: 28 October 1971
Place of Death: Dhalai Border Outpost, Srimangal, Sylhet.
Cause of Death: Killed by Pakistani Army
Age: 18
Buried in: Buddhijibi Koborsthan, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Father’s Name: Abbas Ali Mandal
Mother’s Name: Musamath Kaisunnessa
Siblings: 5; 3 brothers and 2 sisters
Education: Khalispur Primary School, West Bengal, India
Years of service: 1971
Rank: Sepoy
Unit: East Bengal Regiment
Religion: Muslim
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Award: Bir Sreshtho (posthumously)
Eponyms:
➢ Bir Shreshtha Hamidur Rahman Stadium, Jhenaidah
➢ A ferry was named after him
➢ Government Birshestha Shahid Hamidur Rahman Degree College, Jhenaidah
➢ Hamid Nagar, Khardo Khalishpur village, Jhenaidah
➢ Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman Central Auditorium, Kushtia Islamic University
Early Life and Education:
On 2 February 1953 , the youngest member among the Bir Sreshthos, Hamidur Rahman was born at a village named the then Khardo Khalishpur, in the Moheshpur thana of the then Jashore district under the then Pakistan. Currently the place is under Jhenaidah district.
He belonged to a decent muslim family. His father’s name was Abbas Ali Mandal and his mother’s name Musamath Kaisunnessa. He had three brothers and two sisters. He was the eldest son of the family.
During the Partition of India and Pakistan, in 1947, before Hamidur Rahman was even born, his paternal ancestral properties fell on the side of India. But, they crossed over the border and settled in the bordering area of Khurda Khalishpur of Jhenaidah. So we can say he was born in the then East Pakistan.
Hamidur Rahman passed his childhood days at his village. There he attended Khalishpur Primary School and later a local night school. That is how he obtained his primary education. He did not continue further education due to unknown reasons. But by the age of 17, he started off his career in the military.
Career:
In 1970, he joined the army at the lowest rank which is a ‘sepoy’. His first and last unit was the East Bengal Regiment. After the admission in the army, he was sent to the East Bengal Regiment Center of Chittagong.
However, soon into the defense field, he had to participate in the war.
Participation and contribution in the Liberation War:
On the night of March 25, after the horrible genocide by the Pakistani Army, the East Bengal Regiment of Chittagong decided to participate in the war of liberation by announcing a revolt against Pakistani occupation forces. The East Bengal Regiment formed a number of different units. As a part of the team, Hamidur Rahman was already a member of one of the units. But he decided to leave his work place, and came to his own village to fight for the nation. He joined Sector 4. He joined the war of liberation at the Dhalai Border Outpost at the eastern end of the Dhalai Tea Garden of Srimangal Police Station in Sylhet District. Just 1 month before, he turned 18 years old; an young-adult man. But instead of thinking about his future life, he took the risk to fight for his nation, and if needed, to give life for his motherland.
Hamidur Rahman participated in an operation, in October 1971, to seize the Bally Bally, which was close to the East Bengal Company. At 4 am, Mukti Bahini arrived at the target destination. The Pakistani enemy was approaching from the front with two platoons and a platoon in the rear. An enemy approached and detonated a mine. Even though the Mukti Bahini came quite close to the border outpost, the Pakistani army was unable to move forward and fire the machine guns from the position’s southwest flank.
On October 28, a major battle broke out between the Pakistani army’s 1st East Bengal Regiment and 30th Frontier Regiment. 125 East Bengal Regiment freedom fighters took part in the conflict. Of course, our youngest national hero was among them. The Mukti Bahini made the decision to launch a grenade strike against the Pakistani army’s machine gun post. Hamidur Rahman was assigned with the task of throwing off the grenades. His young, tender, yet strong hands were used to carry such a heavy responsibility. Without getting nervous, the courageous Hamidur Rahman began using a tunnel via the mountain canal to attack the grenade. He made a commitment to eliminate the enemy’s LMG post. Therefore, he took off in the dark carrying grenades, and crept soundlessly up to the LMG post. By the end of the night, he was able to silence the enemy weapons by killing the two LMG operators with grenade bursts. Even after the two successful explosives, which detonated against the Pakistani machine gun posts, unfortunately Hamidur Rahman was shot by the enemy. That is how, his short span of life started to gradually come to an end.
Death and burial:
Despite his initial shot, he did not give up fighting. Even at such a point, he went to the machine gun post and started fighting with two Pakistani soldiers. In this way, Hamidur Rahman was able to invalidate the machine gun post of the Pakistani invaders. Additionally, he could save his team mates from getting injured or from death because the freedom fighters of the East Bengal Regiment were able to defeat the Pakistan army and capture the border outpost. But it was too late because the person who was behind this successful operation, himself could not taste victory. He had already fallen to his death.
The dead body of Hamidur Rahman was then carried by his fellow mates, the freedom fighters, to about 30 km inland and was buried at Aambasa in the Tripura region of India. A monument was erected at Dhalai border on the spot of his death. But the low-lying grave was once submerged by flood water. That is why, most of his body got lost and a few remains were left.
But, the hero who fought for the nation should be buried in his own motherland after his death, right? That is why, on 27 October 2007, the then advisers of the Bangladesh caretaker government decided to bring back Hamidur Rahman’s whatever remaining remains from India to Bangladesh and bury him besides Bir Shrestho Matiur Rahman. It took Bangladesh about 36 years to do so.
Finally, on 10 December 2007 the remains of Hamidur Rahman were brought back to Bangladesh by a team of Bangladesh Rifles who received the body of Hamidur Rahman at the Tripura border. Birshreshtha’s coffin was draped in the Bangladesh national flag when it was coming back to his own country.
On 11 December 2007, on behalf of the nation, the then President Iajuddin Ahmed, also the supreme commander of the armed forces, formally received Hamidur Rahman’s coffin and placed floral wreath over it after the motorcade carrying it from Comilla reached the National Parade Square amid 21 gun salutes at around 10:40 am. A munajat was offered seeking blessings for the departed soul. Before that, six army members carried the coffin on their shoulders from the vehicle and put it on a podium set at the National Parade Square. Military bugle played the last post as the president, the chief adviser and other dignitaries and people of various professions stood in silence. The speaker, advisers to the caretaker government, chiefs of the three services, family members of Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman and as well as family members of other Birshreshthas, political leaders, freedom fighters, senior civil and military officials, diplomats, distinguished personalities and members of the armed forces were all present in this historical ceremony. On behalf of the family members of seven Birshreshthas, mother of Birshreshtha Abdur Rouf placed a wreath on Hamidur’s coffin. In 2005, the mother of Hamidur Rahman, otherwise she could have done this ritual. The siblings of Hamidur Rahman bursted into tears during the ceremony. They expressed their contentment to the then Bangladesh government for doing this honor, however they wished that it could be better if this was done some years back when their mother was still alive.
Finally, he was buried again for the second time, with highest form of dignity, at the reserved graveyard for the eminent freedom fighter, also known as Buddhijibi Koborsthan (Cemetery), located at Mirpur, Dhaka. The then President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed along with other VIPs paid tribute and respect to Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman at the National Parade Square before the burial of Hamidur Rahman’s remains.
The government of Bangladesh made sure to honor him in various other ways too.
Awards:
The government of Bangladesh did not forget to acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of such a young person. That is why, the highest military honor of Bangladesh, the title “Bir Sreshtho,” was given posthumously to Hamidur Rahman in recognition of his extraordinary courage and contributions during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. Among the 7 ‘Bir Sreshtho’ titled people of Bangladesh, he is the youngest of all.
Legacy:
Even though Bir Sreshtho Hamidur Rahman had died 52 years back, and at such a young age, his contributions for the country are still cherished till this date. Hence, in order to pay tribute to him, and to remember his name, his commitment and dedication for the country, mainly for the Bangladeshi future generations to come, few of the things in Bangladesh were named after him.
The place or the village where this national hero was born, Khardo Khalishpur, at Jhenaidah, was renamed after his name ‘Hamid Nagar’. Furthermore, a library and a memorial museum have been built in his memory in the village. After 36 years of independence of Bangladesh, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs had started the construction of that library and the memorial museum. Thus, the new generations who will be born in this place, will remember, acknowledge and feel proud about Hamidur Rahman because of all these.
In the same district as his birthplace, Jhenaidah, a stadium has been made which is called Bir Shreshtha Hamidur Rahman Stadium.
As we already know, Hamidur Rahman just attended up to primary school, and could not go till college, perhaps that is why, the Bangladesh government has formed a primary school and a college in Jhenaidah after his name. The college’s name is Government Bir Shrestha Shahid Hamidur Rahman Degree College. It is said that the college was constructed in 1999 but the college premise was developed in 2007 at the cost of 62 lakh 90 thousand taka.
In 2016, the Student-Teacher Cultural Center (TSCC) of Kushtia Islamic University, at Kushtia, was renamed as Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman Central Auditorium.
There is a ferry dedicated in Hamidur Rahman’s name.
Conclusion:
Bir Sreshtho Hamidur Rahman’s story defines the quality of true bravery which is the willingness and readiness to face the fear and also the unfortunate circumstances. In life, we have to have the courage to take risks. We might think Hamidur Rahman was a young, hot blooded person and that is why he could take such a daring decision. But the truth is, if someone is a real patriot, he will show a deep passion for the country regardless of his age. The more we will look at his story and reflect on his legacy, we will be remembered to love our country more and more. He is a true inspiration for the current young generation of Bangladesh. His story should ignite a fire inside us to represent our Bangladesh to the world in better ways.
Disclaimer
All content on this website is provided in good faith and only for general information purposes. A Biography makes no guarantees regarding the information’s completeness, reliability, or correctness. Any action you take as a result of the material on this website is entirely at your own risk. A Biography is not responsible for any losses or damages incurred as a result of using our website.
