Binod Bihari's remains arrive

To be laid to rest in his beloved Chittagong, where he fought the British in his youth, the mortal remains of revolutionary Binod Bihari Chowdhury arrived in Bangladesh on Friday.

The 103-year old revolutionary died in a Kolkata nursing home on Wednesday.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying his dead body, his daughter-in-law Upali Chowdhury and grandson Soumo Shuvro Chowdhury, landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at midday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Personal Assistant Saifuzzaman Shikhor received the body of the 103-year-old revolutionary at the airport.

International Crimes Tribunal-2 prosecutor Rana Das Gupta, who is known to be close to Binod Behari Choudhury, and Awami Swechchasebak League General Secretary Pankaj Devnath were present at the airport with Shikhor.

The coffin carrying the dead body of Binod Bihari was wrapped in the national flag and the vehicle was decorated with flowers.

Pankaj Devnath told reporters that Binod Bihari’s dead body would be taken to Central Shaheed Minar in the capital.

The body would be kept there from 2pm to 4pm for the people to pay their last respects to the evergreen revolutionary.

After that, a helicopter will carry his dead body to Chittagong where his last rites will be performed in keeping with his last wishes.

Rana Das Gupta said he will be cremated at the Boluar Dighi Abhay Mitra Crematorium.

Binod Bihari, a close associate of celebrated revolutionary ‘Master’da’ Surya Sen, died at 9:40pm local time on Wednesday night at the Fortis Hospital in Kolkata while undergoing treatment.

He was born on Jan 10, 1911, at Uttarvurshi village in Chittagong’s Boalkhali area. His 100th birthday was celebrated in style two years ago.