Shafaet Jamil laid to rest

The late freedom fighter accompanied Khaled Mosharraf in the counter-coup after assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975. Updates3

Dhaka, Aug 11 (bdnews24.com) — Veteran freedom fighter Col (Retd) Shafaet Jamil Bir Bikram has been laid to rest at Banani's Army Graveyard.

He passed away at the age of 71 in the wee hours of Saturday.

Jamil was given Bir Bikram gallantry award for his heroic role in the country's Liberation War in 1971.

His nephew Maj (Retd) Atiqul Hafiz told bdnews24.com that Jamil died of heart attack around 2:30am on Saturday at his home in Uttara's Sector 4 locality.

The freedom fighter's namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayer) was held at the Dhaka Cantonment Central Mosque after Zohr prayers. Military officials, political leaders and top government officials took part in the funeral prayer.

Jamil was laid to rest with full state honours. Chief of Army Staff Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan paid his last respects to the deceased at the graveyard.

Awami League General Secretary paid his tribute to the late valiant freedom fighter on behalf of the ruling party and State Minister for Liberation War Affairs A B M Tajul Islam on behalf of his ministry.

The Chief of Army Staff handed over the national flag and the armed force's flag to Jamil's son Shahriar Shafaet as per the tradition.

The country's first Chief of Army Staff K M Safiullah, former Election Commissioner (retd) Brig M Sakhawat Hossain and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister (Retd) Lt Col Faruk Khan attended the funeral prayer and burial of the late freedom fighter.

Jamil had accompanied Khaled Mosharraf in the counter-coup on Nov 3, 1975 during the turbulent days after the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated by a group of misguided army personnel on Aug 15 the same year.

Khaled Mosharraf was killed then and Jamil was detained. He retired from army on Mar 26, 1980.

Of the three sons of the former army official, the first two – Shafkat Shafaet and Shahriar Shafaet -- live in the USA while the youngest Sabbir Ashraf Shafaet is a Major in the army.

Recalling the memories of the late freedom fighter, Safiullah told bdnews24.com that Shafaet Jamil was the in-charge officer of a battalion in Brahmanbaria district when the Pakistani army carried out its heinous massacre as well as military operation -- Operation Searchlight -- on the innocent Bengalese in Dhaka on March 25 night in 1971.

The Pakistani army officials sent two companies of the regiment in Brahmanbaria in the name of a possible attack by the Indian Army on March 1 the same year. Jamil was the chief of one of the companies. On getting news of how the military junta had swooped on the innocent Bengalis, killing hundreds of thousands, Jamil along with his company soldiers revolted and joined the Liberation War.

He took part in the Independence War from Ashuganj-Brahmanbaria and Akhaura-Gangasagar areas under Sector 2. Later, he also participated in the war under 'Z' Force led by Ziaur Rahman.

The battle at Chhatok in Sylhet on Oct 11, 1971 was one of the most famous led by Shafaet Jamil where the Third East Bengal Regiment killed 364 Pakistani soldiers. Through the Radhanagar Operation, his regiment occupied Pakistani's position which the famous Indian Gurkha Regiment failed to capture.

One of his war-time colleagues, Lt Col (Retd) S I M Nurunnabi Khan Bir Bikram, told bdnews24.com: "I had taken part in many operations with Sir (Jamil) from May 15 to Dec 15 in 1971."

A Major during the Liberation war, he was promoted to Lt Colonel afterwards. In 1974, Jamil was promoted to the rank of Colonel and made Commander of the 46th Infantry Brigade. He was posted there during the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975.

Born at Khargamara village of Kuliachar upazila in Kishoreganj district, Shafaet Jamil studied at the Dhaka College and the Dhaka University. He got Commission in 1964 from the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul. Former Pakistan military strongman Parvez Mosharraf was his batch mate.

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