Fifty of the victims of the February 25-26 tragedy at the BDR headquarters, including chief of the border force Maj General Shakil Ahmed and his wife Nazneen, were buried with state honour Monday noon amid a sombre farewell, reports UNB.
Of the martyrs, 48 are army officers, one soldier and the other one DG's wife. 42 were laid to eternal rest at Banani graveyard and eight others at their respective native villages.
Before the burial, namaj-e-janaza for the deceased was held at the National Parade Ground at about 10-45 am at state ceremonies.
President Zillur Rahman, cabinet members, chiefs of the three services, MPs, former army chiefs, senior military officers, relatives of the slain army personnel and the city elite attended the mass funerals of the victims, whose bodies were retrieved from mass graves inside the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters or nearby sewers.
Khatib of the Cantonment Central Mosque and religious teacher Maulana Mohammad Mahmudul Huq conducted the namaz-e-janaza.
Later, the President placed wreath at the coffins, all draped with national flag, in due military fashion. The chiefs of army, navy and air force followed the President paying the floral tributes.
The Military Secretary to the Prime Minister placed wreath on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 'As the government-declared martyrs lay in state, Air Force jets flew in and offered them flying salute,' said an eyewitness account of the funerals.
A 21-gun salute was also given in honour of the army officers and personnel, who are believed to have been killed among around a hundred massacred during the mayhem. Search for the rest has long been on.
Bodies of 42 of them were then taken in a convoy to the Banani graveyard where they were laid to rest at about 12 noon. The rest were sent home on their last rides.
Earlier, the slain officers were brought to the Parade Ground in army lorries and placed on decorated podiums.
Apart from DG of the BDR Maj General Shakil Ahmed and his wife Nazneen Shakil Shipu, the 47 other buried army officers and the soldier are Brig General M Abdul Bari, Brig General M Zakir Hoassain, Col Mujibul Huq, Col M Anisuzzaman, Col M Mosiur Rahman, Col Kudrat Ilahi Rahman Shafiq, Col M Akhter Hossain, Col M Rezaul Kabir, Col Nafizuddin Ahmed, Col Kazi Emdadul Haq, Col Samsul Arefin Ahmed, Col M Nakibur Rahman, Col Kazi Moazzem Hossain, Col M Shawkat Imam, Col M Emdadul Islam, Col M Aftabul Islam, Lt Col Enshad Ibn Amin, Lt Col Enayetul Huq, Lt Col Golam Kibria, Lt Col Shamsul Azam, Lt Col M Badrul Huda, Lt Col M Saiful Islam, Lt Col M Lutfar Rahman, Lt Col M Sajjadur Rahman, Lt Col Kazi Rabi Rahman, Lt Col Lutfar Rahman Khan, Major Mizanur Rahman, Maj Mahbubur Rahman, Maj M Mokbul Hossain, Maj M Abdus Salam Khan, Maj Hossain Sohel Shahnewaz, Maj Kazi Mosaddek Hossain, Maj M Saleh, Maj Mahmud Hassan, Maj Mustak Mahmud, Maj Mahmudul Hasan, Maj Humayun Haider, Maj M Azharul Islam, Maj M Humayun Kabir Sarkar, Maj M Khalid Hossain, Maj M Maksum-ul-Hakim, Maj Syed M Idris Iqbal, Maj M Rafiqul Islam, Maj M Mosharraf Hossain, Maj M Mominul Islam Sarkar, Maj Mostafa Asaduzzaman and Maj SM Mamunur Rahman and soldier M Zahurul Islam.
