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Feature 2

Sylhet

Ignoring the Braves

Three graves of valiant freedom fighters are not properly taken care of. These graves of three valiant freedom fighters are only visited once a year. Due to location, the graves are in negligence from visitors and authority.
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Iqbal Siddiquee

Graves of at least 3 martyred valiant freedom fighters, honoured with gallantry awards like Bir Uttam, Bir Pratik and Bir Bikram of Habiganj district remains uncared for as yet. Due to the remote location, hardly anyone visits the site except one day in a year. No step has been taken to keep them clean or taking measures to preserve properly.

Due to the bordering location of Chunarughat upazila, the number of freedom fighters is comparatively higher than any other upazila in the district.

Abdul Khaleque of Khoirgaon was honoured posthumously 'Bir Bikrom'. The man embraced martyrdom after killing as many as 22 invading Pakistani army men in the Nalua tea garden battle on 17 June in 1971. His grave stands at Dhoromnath area of the Nalua Tea garden. The place is only 50 yards from the Indian border. The grave was constructed in 1997. Since after that none enquired about it.

The grave of freedom fighter Ramij Ali Bir Bikrom lies at Rema hills in the Chunarughat upazila. He was martyred in a face-to-face battle. Due to deep bushes and hard-to-reach location on a border area, no one except the Border guards of the Rema BGB camp to visit the site. The man hailed from village Panch Pirer Majar area of Shaistaganj thana of Habiganj district.

Martyred freedom fighter Abdul Mannan was buried at the Kalenga hill. After a neck to neck battle, Mannan was caught by the Pakistan Army, who had tied him up with a tree before killing brutally. Mannan was awarded Bir Uttam posthumously. Like many others, Mannan's grave also remained uncared for since after it was made a solid one.

Every year, locals place floral wreaths on these graves on independence or victory day only.

Abdul Quddus Bir Protik of village Gogaura and Abdul Haque Bir bikrom of Shahpur are passing days at their village homes.

The only memorial in the upazila is there on the Lalchand tea garden in memory of 11 freedom fighters. None visits it due to its location inside a tea garden.