Body of Maj Hakim identified
Staff Correspondent
Two army officers killed in a chopper crash on Monday and two during the massacre at Pilkhana BDR Headquarters were laid to eternal rest yesterday at city’s Banani Army Graveyard.
The officers buried with state honour are Maj Gen Rafiqul Islam, general officer commanding of 55 Infantry Division and Jessore area commander, Lt Col Shahidul Islam (the pilot), Col Gulzar Uddin Ahmed and Lt. Col Elahi Manzoor Chowdhury.
The bodies of Col Gulzar and Lt Col Elahi Manzoor were identified after a DNA test on Tuesday. The body of Maj Ahmed Azizul Hakim was identified through DNA test yesterday and some army officials and relatives took the body from the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue late in the afternoon. With this latest identification, the death toll in the BDR mutiny bloodshed stands at 74 including 52 army officers.
Meanwhile, the nation yesterday mourned the death of two senior army officers killed in the helicopter crash. The national flag hoisted half-mast at all government, semi-government, autonomous and non-government organisation premises on this occasion.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to see the bodies of the officers at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka. She stood in solemn silence for a few minutes showing reverence to the deceased.
Hasina conveyed her deep condolences to the bereaved family members and assured them of her being beside in their weal and woe in future.
The coffins draped in national and army flags were brought to the army stadium amid 21 gun-salutes. The namaz-e-janaza of the four top army officers was held there with state honour.
The relatives of the deceased, a number of ministers, political leaders, chiefs of three services, top retired and in-service army officials and civilians attended the janaza.
After the janaza, military secretaries of the president and the prime minister placed wreaths on the coffins on behalf of the president and the prime minister. Chiefs of three services also placed wreaths on the coffins.
Courtesy of www.thedailystar.net
