Parliament condoles MN Larma 33 years after his death

Bangladesh was under the grip of military rule when Manabendra Narayan Larma or MN Larma, a member of the country's first Parliament died. The leader from the hilly districts remained neglected in the seven parliaments that followed.

The legislators of Bangladesh have finally and formally expressed condolence over the death of Larma after 33 years.

The condolence motion placed by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Sunday included Larma's name. It was unanimously passed through voice vote.

Incumbent Rangamati MP Ushatan Talukder drew attention of the authorities to the matter before the last budget session, a Parliament Secretariat official said.

Before being elected to the first Parliament of independent Bangladesh in 1973, he had won the 1970 election to the then National Assembly of East Pakistan.

Born in Mohapurom of Naniarchar on Sep 15 1939, MN Larma was a follower of Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung. He was a member of leftist students' organisation Bangladesh Chhatra Union in Chittagong College.

After independence, he brought the demands of people of the hilly districts by forming Parbatya Chattagram Janasanghati Samity (PCJSS) with representatives of 11 ethnic groups in 1972.

After the assassination of independence hero Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, he went into hiding and formed PCJSS's military wing 'Shantibahini'. Some portray him as a separatist.

He was killed in an attack by a rival faction in the organisation in Khagrhachharhi on Nov 10 1983.

His younger brother Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Lama, known as Santu Larma, then took charge of the organisation.

Santu Larma played key role in the signing of a historic peace deal between PCJSS and the government in 1997, ending decades of bloodbaths in the hilly districts.