Relatives still in panic, no police guard provided

Freedom fighter Manik Pashari’s relatives remain fearful following the obstruction of his namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayers) and burial in Chitlia village of Pirojpur.

Residents and relatives expressed their shock, saying that incidents like obstructing a burial and filling a freshly dug grave with dirt had never happened in their village before. They remain unable to accept such a farewell for a freedom fighter.

Following daylong developments including threats to burn the corpse, obstructing a burial with state honors, filling up a freshly dug grave with dirt and intimidating the grave-diggers with threats of lawsuits—Manik Pashari was finally buried late Saturday (24 October) night under tight police guard.

Relatives alleged that local leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir led the obstruction.

Former Nayeb-e-Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, Maulana Delwar Hossain Sayedee, was the Member of Parliament from the Pirojpur-1 constituency. On 12 August 2009, a case was filed against him at Pirojpur Sadar police station on charges of committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. Freedom fighter Manik Pashari was the plaintiff in the case and later testified during the trial at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).

Speaking with locals, it was learned that Manik Pashari passed away on Saturday morning (24 October) at his daughter Afroza Pashari's residence in Gopalganj. Around 12:00 pm, his body was transported by ambulance to the Pirojpur Sadar Upazila Parishad office.

Upon receiving the news, activists and supporters of Jamaat and Shibir gathered at important locations in Pirojpur town, including Bottola, Police Lines Road, Puraton bus stand, Parerhat Bazar and the municipal graveyard and brought out processions.

They chanted slogans branding Manik Pashari a "fake freedom fighter." Pressure was mounted on the local police and administration to deny him a state guard of honour. They also announced that he would not be allowed to be buried in Pirojpur.

According to a police source, fearing an attack on the ambulance carrying the corpse and potential obstruction to the burial, Manik Pashari's body was taken to the Pirojpur Police Lines ground. His funeral prayers were held there and he was accorded a guard of honour.

At that time, news of the obstruction to his burial spread across social media. Later, Delwar Hossain Sayedee's son, local MP Masood Sayedee, phoned senior administration officials, informing them that party activists had been instructed not to further obstruct the burial. The body was then transported to the village via an alternative route late at night under police escort and buried.

Pirojpur District Superintendent of Police (SP) Muhammad Talebur Rahman told Prothom Alo that for security reasons, the body was taken inside the Police Lines for the funeral prayers and guard of honor.

He noted that certain strategic measures were taken keeping potential conflict, violence, and security concerns in mind.

Investigations revealed that Abdul Razzak, Assistant Secretary of Pirojpur District Jamaat-e-Islami; Ishaq Ali, Ameer of Pourashava (municipal) Jamaat and Mamun Hossain, President of Zianagar Upazila Sramik Kalyan Federation and a former Chhatra Shibir leader, led the processions and gatherings at various spots in the town to block Manik Pashari's funeral prayers, burial and guard of honour.

Meanwhile, Muin Uddin, former general secretary of the Pirojpur Government Suhrawardy College unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir, led a procession with activists to Manik Pashari's village home, where they filled his freshly dug grave in the family graveyard with dirt and removed the bamboo poles brought for the burial.

Speaking in front of the Pirojpur Sadar Upazila Parishad that day, Abdul Razzak had claimed they would not obstruct the burial. However, he alleged that Manik Pashari was a fake freedom fighter and they had gathered to protest him receiving a guard of honour.

When contacted on Tuesday, Abdul Razzak told Prothom Alo, "We spoke out to prevent him from receiving a guard of honour since he was a fake freedom fighter."

He claimed that once the administration clarified that Manik Pashari was a government-gazetted freedom fighter, they ceased their obstruction and instead cooperated with the burial process.

Regarding the incident, Jamaat activist Muin Uddin told Prothom Alo that he had gone to Manik Pashari’s village home with some people and held a procession with activists there. However, he denied filling the dug grave with dirt.

Many elderly residents of the area refused to comment on the incidents involving a freedom fighter, citing concerns for their own and their families' safety.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a police officer confirmed that hundreds of activists led by several leaders, including Jamaat leader Abdul Razzak, had gathered across the town to obstruct Manik Pashari's funeral prayers and burial.

Manik Pashari’s village home is in Chitalia village of Shankar Pasha Union, located eight kilometers southeast of Pirojpur town. Visiting the village on Tuesday afternoon, no one was found at his house. His younger daughter, Shimu Pashari and the wife of his only son, Asadul Pashari, lived with their children in two adjacent rooms. Following his burial, his daughter and daughter-in-law left the area that very night.

Despite attempts to speak with residents of five neighbouring houses, no one agreed to talk. After searching, Manik Pashari's sister Hena Pashari was found.

Initially reluctant to speak, she later invited these correspondents inside to talk. She recounted that following Sheikh Hasina's ouster on 5 August 2024, her brother’s room was set on fire and burned down. Her brother fled the house that very night.

She alleged that local Jamaat and Shibir leaders had set fire to his room and that influential figures are now attempting to grab her family’s land and harassing them with lawsuits.

She added that multiple cases have been filed against several of her family members over the past two years.

At Manik Pashari’s house, the brick foundation of the room burned down during the July uprising lay empty. Although relatives felt a lack of security, no police presence was seen in the area.

When asked about this, Inspector (Investigation) of Sadar police station Radheshyam Sarkar told Prothom Alo that patrol police have been instructed to keep watch and visit the area from time to time.

A local resident noted that during the Liberation War, the house of Manik Pashari's uncle, Roisuddin Pashari, was burned down. The same quarters who burned that house then set fire to Manik Pashari's room in 2024 and obstructed his burial, the resident claimed.

Manik Pashari had built a semi-concrete mosque attached to his house. After his room was burned down, the mosque's microphone and battery were stolen. Locals reported that people are now prevented from praying there.

Manik Pashari’s nephew, Azizul Islam, said that due to obstruction by local influential figures, no one comes to pray at the mosque anymore.

Relatives in the village learned of Manik Pashari's death around 9:00 am on Saturday. Some family members, including his nephew Azizul Islam, had anticipated trouble if the body was brought to the village.

Azizul Islam told Prothom Alo that local influential figures had threatened to burn his uncle’s body if it was brought to the village.

For this reason, he had advised burying him in Gopalganj, but other family members insisted on bringing him back.

Azizul Islam, along with relatives, began digging the grave around 12:30 pm. At that point, a few locals arrived and claimed that a case had been filed at the police station against those digging the grave. Hearing this, they fled the spot in fear.

Locals reported that after Maghrib prayers, seven to eight motorcycles arrived in front of Manik Pashari’s house. Shortly after, more than 100 people gathered and began a procession. They chanted slogans against Manik Pashari. At one stage, people from the procession filled the freshly dug grave with dirt and threw the bamboo poles away.

Eyewitnesses said that around 10:30 pm, two village police members arrived and asked for the grave to be dug again. However, no men dared to step forward.

Eventually, three women including Manik Pashari’s sister, Hena Pashari along with a neighbour named Riaz, cleared the dirt from the grave. Manik Pashari was finally buried at 1:30 am.

Inquiries revealed that another witness in the case against Delwar Hossain Sayedee at the ICT also hailed from Chitalia village. His name is Jalil Sheikh. On 5 August 2024, Jalil Sheikh’s shop was also burned down. He fled the village with his family that very night and never returned.

Jalil Sheikh's neighbour, Dulal Mia, told Prothom Alo that the same individuals who set fire to Manik Pashari’s house also burned down Jalil Sheikh’s shop, forcing him to flee the area.