Staff Reporter :
Dewan Siddique Hossain who worked as a field Kanungo at Godagari Thana Circle Office in Rajshahi on the night of March 25 in 1971 along with other young people made barricades with brick, tree trunk and drain slab on the main road ahead of his house and prevented the movement of Pakistan Army. For this time he was abducted from his house and killed by Pak Army.
Thereafter, his family members appealed to different forums of the government to include his name in the list of the martyred freedom fighters. But the name has not been included till date in the list.
Begum Hamida Banu, wife of Dewan Siddique Hossain, and her children are moving door to door for Dewan Siddique’s freedom fighter recognition for 50 years. They are also fighting in the court and have already received High Court ruling in their favor. Even then the recognition is not given.
Following a writ petition, the High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader on May 9 in 2019 directed the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs to include the name of the Hamida Banu’s husband, Dewan Siddidue Hossain, as a martyr freedom fighter and to give all benefits and allowances to the petitioner with arrear in accordance with law.
In the observation of the verdict, the court said the husband (Dewan Siddique Hossain) of the petitioner (Hamida Banu) was an active participant of the non-cooperation movement called by the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and he went to fight against the Pak Army. So, there is no necessity of further inquiry in this matter.
It is very much clear that the local freedom fighters who were personally known to the husband of the petitioner issued certificates and also made recommendation that the husband of the petitioner had participated in the non-cooperation movement ahead of the night of March 25-26 in 1971 actively and he was killed by the Pak Army.
However, despite the High Court ruling, Dewan Siddique Hossain has not been recognized as a martyred freedom fighter. Bangladesh Muktijhodda Kallyan Trust has filed a leave to appeal petition against the High Court verdict which is now pending before the Appellate Division for hearing.
Barrister Tania Amir, a counsel for Hamida Banu, said, “The only desire of my clients is to get the recognition of Dewan Siddique Hossain as martyr freedom fighter. So many years passed, so many governments have come to this country, but no one has recognized him.”
“Hamida Banu became a widow when she was on the quota of 30. She has grown up her four children alone. Now she is over eighty. There are still tears in her eyes,” added the lawyer.
