Guerrilla fighter Chullu was 'tortured with cigarette fire' by Pakistanis in 1971 war

At his funeral service, fellow freedom fighters and comrades have recalled how the famous guerrilla fighter Masud Sadiqe Chullu was tortured by the enemy forces when he was caught during the Liberation War.

"He survived, but his whole body was carrying burn wounds of cigarette fire. The other detainees died from enemy torture," fellow Crack Platoon member Habibul Alam Bir Protik told the mourners at the funeral meeting of Chullu.

Chullu died from a heart attack on Oct 16 at the age of 74.

Habibul was among the group that went to receive Chullu at the Dhaka Central Jail on Dec 17, 1971. He said, "There was not a single place in his body without a burnt mark." He was arrested on Aug 30, he added.

Chullu, who had a good job in a multinational drug company, was a key member of the Crack Platoon which gave very hard time to the Pakistani forces and their local collaborators, the Razakars.

The group was nicknamed 'Bichchhu' or scorpion because of their tenacity and ferocious attack techniques.

"Chullu gave the administrative support in the warfare. He used to keep arms and ammunition at his house. Sometimes, he took the fighters to the operation driving his vehicle," said Kamrul Huq Swapan Bir Bikram.

Shahidullah Khan Badal said Chullu took part in almost all the operations in Dhaka.

"Some of the guerrilla operations would have been impossible without him," he reminisced.

With Chullu, the enemy forces also detained Shafi Imam Rumi, Badiul Alam Badi, Abdul Halim Chowdhury during the war but they were killed at some stage of the war.

Chullu is the younger brother of former education minister ASHK Sadique.

His burial was delayed for his only daughter's arrival from the US on Wednesday. He has been buried at the Banani graveyard.

Earlier, the casket carrying his remains was brought to his Old Banani DOHS residence where his relatives and fellow freedom fighters gathered to bid him farewell.