Former Chief of Army Staff and decorated war hero Harun Ar Rashid was laid to rest in his family graveyard without any state honours, following his own final request. Although the government was ready to give him a state funeral, his family respected his wish for a simple burial, just like an ordinary citizen.
Buried Without State Honor as Per His Wish
Lieutenant General (Retd.) M Harun Ar Rashid, former Chief of Bangladesh Army, was buried without state honours. This decision followed his own personal wish that he be laid to rest like a regular citizen, not as a decorated war hero.
On Monday night (4 August), he was buried at the family graveyard in Dhaloi Union’s Hadhurkhil area of Hathazari upazila, Chattogram, next to his father’s grave. His second janaza was held at the Hadhurkhil Madrasa field.
Harun Ar Rashid’s Last Wishes
Before his death, Harun Ar Rashid also expressed his desire to donate his eyes after death. Sadly, the process could not be completed due to the delay in time. Also, the family did not agree to conduct an autopsy on his body.
Hathazari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Muhammad Abdullah Al Mumin told:
“বীর মুক্তিযোদ্ধা হিসেবে রাষ্ট্রীয় মর্যাদায় দাফনের জন্য আমরা প্রস্তুত ছিলাম। কিন্তু পরিবারের পক্ষ থেকে জানানো হয়, তাঁর ইচ্ছা ছিল যেন সাধারণভাবে দাফন করা হয়। তাই সে অনুযায়ী দাফন সম্পন্ন হয়েছে।”
“We were ready to offer him a state funeral as a freedom fighter, but the family informed us that he wished to be buried simply. So, we respected that and carried out the burial accordingly.”
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Found Dead at Guest House Room
On Monday morning, around 11:30 AM, police and army officials found his dead body in room 308 of the guest house at Chittagong Club. His body was then taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Chattogram.
At around 5:15 PM, his first janaza was held at Shaheed Captain Jashim Hall inside the Chattogram Cantonment. Later, his body was handed over to the family.
A Brave Freedom Fighter and Military Leader
M Harun-ur-Rashid was born on 15 February 1948 in Dhaloi Union, Hathazari, Chattogram. He joined the Bangladesh Army and participated in the Liberation War of 1971 while still serving. For his bravery, he was awarded the title of Bir Protik by the government.
He became the Chief of Army Staff on 24 December 2000 and served until 16 June 2002.
Diplomat and Later Controversies
After retirement, he worked as Bangladesh’s ambassador to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. However, his reputation became controversial after he joined the infamous MLM company Destiny as its President in 2006.
In 2012, he was arrested on charges of fraud and embezzlement and later released on bail. On 12 May 2022, a court sentenced him to four years in jail for financial corruption related to Destiny.
The Night Before His Death
Harun Ar Rashid was last seen alive on Sunday night when he attended a wedding program in Chattogram. He spent the night at the Chittagong Club guest house. The next morning, when he failed to respond to calls and did not open the door, hotel authorities broke the window and found him dead.
Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin also visited the guest house after his death. He said:
“চট্টগ্রাম আদালতে একটি মামলায় তাঁর হাজিরা ছিল। সময় গড়িয়ে যাওয়ার পরও না আসায় ফোন করা হয়, কিন্তু সাড়া পাওয়া যায়নি। পরে গেস্ট হাউস কর্তৃপক্ষ গিয়ে দেখে তিনি আর নেই।”
“He was supposed to appear in court in Chattogram. When he didn’t show up and didn’t respond to calls, the guest house staff went to check and found that he had already passed away.”
Source: Ajker Patrika
