Retired lieutenant colonel Abu Osman Chowdhury, who commanded the sector 8 of the war of independence between April 10, 1971 and July 17, 1971, died at Dhaka Combined Military Hospital Saturday morning. He was 84.
The Independence Day Award winning freedom fighter died after suffering from multi-complications following his recovery from COVID-19 at the hospital.
Sector Commanders’ Forum secretary general Harun Habib said that Abu Osman Chowdhury had an open heart surgery and diagnosed with brain tumour at the hospital.
He said that Abu Osman Chowdhury had remarkable contributions in organising the war of independence in Kushtia region and oath taking of the government in exile at Baidyanathtala in Meherpur on April 17, 1971.
Being the commander of the area, Abu Osman led a platoon of soldiers to give a guard of honour to the newly formed government in exile, Harun Habib and Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir said.
Abu Osman Chowdhury is survived by his two daughters. His wife Nazia Khanom was also a valiant freedom fighter who was killed at Dhaka cantonment on November 7, 1975, Harun said.
Born in Chandpur’s Faridganj on January 1, 1936, Abu Osman Chowdhury was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 1958.
‘He was one of the jurists of the mass trail of the Ghulam Azam,’ Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir said.
Abu Osman Chowdhury was buried with state honour at the Banani Army Graveyard following his namaz-e-janaza at the central mosque of Dhaka cantonment.
Bangladesh Army gave gun salute in honour of him at the graveyard.❐
