Valiant freedom fighter Lt Col (retd) Kazi Nuruzzaman Bir Uttam, the commander of Sector Seven of the 1971

 DHAKA: Valiant freedom fighter Lt Col (retd) Kazi Nuruzzaman Bir Uttam, the commander of Sector Seven of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, died on Friday morning at the age of 86. 

The octogenarian breathed his last at the Square Hospital in the city. He had been under treatment at the hospital for last two weeks for old-age ailments, ‍said Zayd Almer Khan, his grandson.

He left behind his wife, two daughters and numerous admirers to mourn his eternal absence from amongst them and from the post-liberation struggles carried on by the Sector Commanders’ Forum.

His wife Sultana Sarwat Ara Zaman is a retired psychology teacher of the University of Dhaka. Daughters Professor Nyla Zaman Khan is in Dhaka Shishu Hospital and Lubna Marium is engaged in cultural arena. Son-in-law Shahidullah Khan Badal is the publisher of English daily New Age. Grandson Zayd Almer is the Managing Editor of the New Age and granddaughter Anu Sheh a noted new-generation singer. 

As the news broke, eminent freedom fighters, politicians and the elite rushed to the hospital for a last glimpse of the liberation-war hero. 

  

Nuruzzaman’s body will be kept in the BIRDEM mortuary on Friday night, pending his Saturday funerals and burial, said Zayd Almer. 

His mortal remains will lie in state at the Central Shaheed Minar for two hours from 10:30 am for people from all walks of life to pay their last respects to the departing warrior.

His first Namaz-e-Zanaza will be held at Dhaka University Central Mosque. A second one is scheduled to be held at Dhaka Cantonment mosque.  

He will be laid to eternal rest at Dhaka Cantonment freedom fighters’ graveyard with state honours later in the day.

Colonel Nuruzzaman led the sector seven comprising Rajshahi, Bogra, Pabna and parts of Dinajpur from September to December 1971 during the liberation war. Before him, Major Nazmul Huq and Subedar Major Abdur Rab had acted as commander in this sector.

He was a top leader of the Sector Commanders’ Forum that has been carrying on a campaign for trial of the “war criminals”. “He had been vocal to the last for the trial of the war criminals and for social justice,” said Col Zaman’s grandson, Zayd Almer Khan.

A born fighter, Kazi Nuruzzaman took part in the Second World War as a member of Indian Royal Army. Later, he was taken in the Indian Army and trained at Deradun. After the partition of the subcontinent, Nuruzzaman was with Pakistan army. In 1962 he was promoted to Major. During the Ayub Khan regime, Nuruzzaman retired from army and later he was given the responsibility of Narayanganj dockyard.             

Sector Commander Col Nuruzzaman passes away

ANM Nuruzzaman, commander of the Sector  No 7 of the country’s War of Liberation, passed away Friday morning at a hospital in the city. He was 80. Nuruzzaman, also former chairman of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad Central Command Council, left behind two daughters and a host of relatives and admirers to mourn his death. Hearing his death news, a large number of freedom fighters, political leaders, relatives and well-wishers rushed to Square Hospital, where he breathed his last at 10:00am. His body was later taken to his city’s DOHS residence from the hospital. The body will be kept at the mortuary of Birdem hospital.

The body of Nuruzzaman would be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar on Saturday and would be kept there for two hours from 10:00am to 12:00 noon to facilitate the freedom fighters and the people from all walks of life to pay their last respect. Different organisations expressed deep shock at the death of Nuruzzaman. Chairman of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad Central Command Council Maj Gen (retd) Helal Morshed Khan and Secretary General (admin) Emdad Hossain Matin expressed profound shock at the death of the sector commander.

In a statement, they conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul. Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President ASM Abdur Rab and General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan and Amra Muktijoddhar Santan President Sazzad Hossain and General Secretary Rasheduzzaman Shaheen condoled the death of Nuruzzaman.

War hero Nooruzzaman passes away

Veteran freedom fighter Lt Col (retd) Quazi Nooruzzaman (Bir Uttam), sector-7 commander of the 1971 Liberation War, breathed his last yesterday at the Square Hospital in the capital. He was 86.Nooruzzaman, a veteran of the Second World War, joined the British Indian Navy in 1943 at the age of 18.He left behind his wife, two daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.His body was taken to his DOHS residence and later kept at the mortuary of the Birdem hospital.

The body will be taken to the central Shaheed Minar at 10:30am today for his fellow members of sector-7, well-wishers and people from of all walks of life to pay respect to the valiant freedom fighter.

His namaz-e-janaza will be held after Zohr prayers at the Dhaka University mosque followed by another namaz-e-janaza at the Army mosque at the Dhaka Cantonment after Asr prayers.

He will be laid to rest at the Banani Army Graveyard alongside his fellow freedom fighters, his son-in-law Shahidulla Khan Badal told The Daily Star.Nooruzzaman joined the Liberation War on March 28, 1971 and was made sector-7 commander on September 26. During his stint as the chairman of the Muktijoddha Sangsad in the early 1980s, he demanded a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and trial of war criminals. He was jailed by the then military dictator HM Ershad for pressing for the demand. He was one of the architects of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee. Born to Quazi Sadrul Ola and Ratubannessa on March 24, 1925 in Jessore, Nooruzzaman studied chemistry at St Xavier's College in Calcutta before joining the British Indian Navy in 1943. He fought for the allies in the Second World War off the coasts of Burma and Sumatra.

When his family decided to settle in Pakistan during the partition, Nooruzzaman joined the Pakistan Army but went to voluntary retirement following the imposition of martial law by General Ayyub Khan. He returned briefly to military service during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. He was also a noted writer and thinker. He was the editor of weekly Noya Padoddhani and one of the editors of the book, Ekattorer Ghatak o Dalalra Ke Kothay. His books include Muktijuddho o Rajniti, Bangladesher Samaj o Rajniti, Swadesh Chinta, and A Sector Commander Remembers Bangladesh Liberation War. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the death of the veteran freedom fighter and said he made outstanding contribution to the Liberation War, reports BSS. "The nation will remember his contribution forever with deep gratitude," Hasina said.Different socio-cultural organisations also condoled his death.

আর কতজন কমান্ডারের মৃত্যু হলে যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার করা হবে?

যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচারের প্রধান রূপকার ছিলেন সেক্টর কমান্ডার লে. কর্নেল কাজী নূরুজ্জামান। কিন্তু তিনি এ বিচার দেখে যেতে পারেননি। এভাবে আর কতজন সেক্টর কমান্ডারের মৃত্যু হলে যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার করা হবে?

কাজী নূরুজ্জামান স্মরণে আয়োজিত সভায় সেক্টর কমান্ডার, মুক্তিযোদ্ধা ও রাজনৈতিক নেতারা এ আক্ষেপ করেন। গতকাল বুধবার রাজধানীর মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জাদুঘর মিলনায়তনে এ সভার আয়োজন করে সেক্টর কমান্ডারস ফোরাম।

সভায় ফোরামের চেয়ারম্যান ও পরিকল্পনামন্ত্রী এ কে খন্দকার বলেন, ‘যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার সবার প্রাণের দাবি। একজন লোক মানুষ হত্যা করবে, নারীদের নির্যাতন করবে, কিন্তু তার বিচার হবে না; কোনো সভ্য দেশে এটা হতে পারে না। যেদিন যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার হবে, সেদিনই আমরা এ কলঙ্ক থেকে মুক্তি পাব।’ ফোরামের সহসভাপতি আবু ওসমান চৌধুরী বলেন, ‘যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচারের আনুষ্ঠানিকতা শেষ করতেই সরকার অনেক দেরি করে ফেলেছে। এতে যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচারের ক্ষেত্রে এ সরকারের ওপর মানুষের আস্থা কমে গেছে. ফোরামের আরেক সহসভাপতি কে এম সফিউল্লাহ বলেন, ‘আমরা মুক্তিযোদ্ধারা যখন শেষ নিঃশ্বাস ত্যাগ করি, তখন আমাদের অনেক সম্মান দেখানো হয়। কিন্তু জীবিত থাকার সময় খোঁজও নেওয়া হয় না।...যদিও সবাই আমাদের ব্যবহার করে। দুজন সেক্টর কমান্ডার আমাদের ছেড়ে চলে গেছেন কিন্তু তাঁদের মৃত্যুতে জাতীয়ভাবে কোনো শোক প্রস্তাব করা হয়নি।’

 সাংসদ সুরঞ্জিত সেনগুপ্ত বলেন, জাতীয় বীর হওয়ার পরও মানুষ হিসেবে নূরুজ্জামান ছিলেন অতুলনীয়। নিজের কথায়, চিন্তায় তিনি ছিলেন অটল। তিনি বলেন, সেক্টর কমান্ডারস ফোরাম যদি চায়, তাহলে সংবিধান সংশোধনে গঠিত বিশেষ কমিটি তাদের সঙ্গে আলোচনায় বসবে। সাংসদ রাশেদ খান মেনন বলেন, যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচারের সঙ্গে রাজনৈতিক বিষয়টিও জড়িত। রাজনৈতিক কৌশল নিতে গিয়ে যদি সংবিধানের সঙ্গে আপস করা হয়, ধর্মনিরপেক্ষতার সঙ্গে আপস করা হয়, তবে যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার মুখ থুবড়ে পড়তে পারে; যেমনভাবে একাত্তরের ঘাতক দালাল নির্মূল কমিটির কার্যক্রম একসময় মুখ থুবড়ে পড়েছিল। সাংসদ হাসানুল হক ইনু বলেন, গত ৪০ বছরে যাঁরা রাষ্ট্র পরিচালনা করেছেন, তাঁরা কাজী নূরুজ্জামানকে ভুল বুঝেছেন। কারণ তিনি সব সময় শাসকদের ভুলগুলোর সমালোচনা করতেন। একাত্তরের ঘাতক দালাল নির্মূল কমিটির নির্বাহী সভাপতি শাহরিয়ার কবির বলেন, কাজী নূরুজ্জামান অনেক আগেই যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচারের কাজ শুরু করেছিলেন। জিয়াউর রহমানের জীবদ্দশায় মুক্তিযোদ্ধা সংসদের চেয়ারম্যান থাকাকালে তিনি বাংলাদেশে জামায়াতে ইসলামীকে নিষিদ্ধ ঘোষণা করেছিলেন এবং দেশের কোথাও জামায়াতকে সভা করতে দেননি। 

সভায় বক্তব্য দেন সেক্টর কমান্ডারস ফোরামের সহসভাপতি সি আর দত্ত, সাধারণ সম্পাদক হারুন-অর-রশিদ, সম্মিলিত সাংস্কৃতিক জোটের সভাপতি নাসির উদ্দীন ইউসুফ, সম্মিলিত পেশাজীবী সমন্বয় পরিষদের সভাপতি ইকবাল সোবহান চৌধুরী, বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযোদ্ধা সংসদের সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আবদুল আহাদ চৌধুরী, মুক্তিযোদ্ধা আমিন আহমেদ চৌধুরী, কাজী নূরুজ্জামানের মেয়ে নায়লা জামান প্রমুখ। সভা সঞ্চালনা করেন সাংস্কৃতিক ব্যক্তিত্ব ম হামিদ।