The body of 87-year-old gazetted Freedom Fighter Manik Pashari remains stored inside a refrigerated vehicle at the Pirojpur Police Lines, following intense opposition from local activists belonging to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
Pashari, who served as a complainant and key prosecution witness in the International Crimes Tribunal case against the late Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, passed away on Saturday morning at a hospital in Gopalganj. He had been suffering from various age-related medical complications for the past two months. A resident of Chitalia village in Pirojpur Sadar Upazila, Pashari had been taking refuge at his daughter and son-in-law’s residence in Tungipara, Gopalganj, following the political shifts of 5 August 2024.
Conflict erupted when family members attempted to arrange his final rites and state honours. According to Farooq Hossain, the deceased’s son-in-law, the family arrived at the Upazila Nirbahi Officer’s (UNO) office with the body around noon, shortly after his death at 10:00 AM. However, the official proceedings faced significant delays due to protests organised by local Jamaat figures.
The family alleged that local authorities forced them to wait for over five hours without proper refrigeration for the body in an ordinary ambulance. Eventually, around 5:00 PM, administration officials conducted the state Guard of Honour in relative secrecy within the secure confines of the police lines, rather than at a public venue or his ancestral home. Despite the formal ceremony, the dead hero could not be laid to rest as protesters surrounded the area.
Jamaat-e-Islami leaders have publicly rejected Pashari’s veteran status. Abdur Razzaq, Assistant Secretary of the Pirojpur District Jamaat unit, claimed that Pashari was not a genuine freedom fighter and asserted that his party would prevent any attempt to bury him on Pirojpur soil. Party activists subsequently gathered outside the police facilities, creating a tense standoff with law enforcement.
Local administration officials are currently attempting to mediate the dispute. Mohammad Shariful Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Pirojpur Sadar Police Station, confirmed late Saturday evening that the body remains safely preserved in a cold-storage vehicle inside the police compound. He stated that discussions are ongoing with local dignitaries, community leaders, and political representatives to resolve the impasse peacefully and enable a respectful burial at Pashari’s ancestral home.
