The body of Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton, former general secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, has returned to Bangladesh from India, nearly two years after he left the country. Roton, who had been receiving treatment for lung cancer at a hospital in Kolkata, died on Saturday at around 7.15 am.
His body entered Bangladesh through the Benapole check-post on Sunday, 11 October, at approximately 11 am, crossing from India via the Petrapole border. His return marked the end of a prolonged period abroad during which he had been undergoing treatment for the illness.
Roton’s wife, Arefa Sultana, accompanied the body from India. His elder brother, Nasimul Haider Chowdhury Milton, received it on the Bangladeshi side of the border. Senior officials from the police, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the local administration were present during the handover.
Following the formalities at the border, the body was taken towards Dhaka under police escort. Security was tightened at the Benapole land port ahead of its arrival, with increased surveillance around the important border crossing. Members of the law enforcement agencies remained on alert throughout the morning as arrangements were made for the transfer.
Speaking about the family’s plans, Arefa Sultana said the body would be taken to Dhaka, where a funeral prayer would be held. It would then be transported to the family’s ancestral home in Raozan, Chattogram, for a second funeral prayer, followed by burial.
Roton left Bangladesh for India through the Benapole land port on 19 August 2024. He remained in India for treatment after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Despite receiving medical care in Kolkata, he died at the hospital on Saturday morning. His body was subsequently brought back to Bangladesh for his final rites.
Roton was a prominent figure in Bangladesh’s student politics. He served as general secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League’s central committee from 2006 to 2011, a period during which he held a senior leadership position in one of the country’s major student organisations.
After completing his tenure in student politics, Roton remained involved in the politics of the Awami League. In 2021, he became a member of the party’s central sub-committee on labour and manpower affairs, further extending his involvement in party activities beyond his student leadership role.
His political career spanned both student organisation leadership and participation in the wider party structure. His return to Bangladesh following his death has now brought the focus to his family’s arrangements for his funeral and burial.
The authorities maintained heightened security at Benapole during the repatriation process. The presence of police, BGB personnel and senior administrative officials ensured that the necessary formalities could be completed before the body was handed over to the family.
According to his wife, the family intends to complete the funeral arrangements in Dhaka before taking Roton to Raozan, where he will be laid to rest following the second funeral prayer.