Bir Sreshtho Hamidur Rahman (2 February 1953 – 28 October 1971), better known as Shaheed Sepoy Hamidur Rahman, was a Sepoy in Bangladesh Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Hamidur Rahman was killed on October 28, 1971 at Dhalai, Sylhet during an attempt to capture the Pakistani Army’s position which finally fell to advancing Mukti Bahini column. He was posthumously awarded the Bir Sreshtho, the highest recognition of bravery of Bangladesh.
Hamidur Rahman was born on 2 February 1953 in Khardo Khalishpur village under Moheshpur police station of Jhenaidah district and was the eldest son of his family. During the Partition of India in 1947, his paternal properties fell in India. They crossed over the border and settled in the bordering area of Khorda Khalishpur of Jhenaidah district.
He joined East Bengal Regiment on 2 February 1971 and participated in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. During the war he made significant contribution in capturing Dhalai Border Outpost at Srimangal. Though the Independence fighters came very close to the Border Outpost, it became very difficult to capture owing to the enemy machine gun which was continuously firing from the south-western corner of the border outpost. On 28 October 1971, a battle was taking place between 1st East Bengal Regiment and 30 A Frontier Force Regiment in Dhalai of Sylhet. 125 member East Bengal Regiment decided to use grenades on the machine gun posts of the Pakistan army. Hamidur Rahman took the responsibility of throwing grenades and crawled through the hilly canals. He managed to explode two grenades before he was shot. Hamidur Rahman jumped into the enemy machine gun post and engaged in hand to hand fight with the two crews who were guarding the gun and at one stage neutralized the gun. Realizing the fact that machine gun outpost was damaged, EBR approached towards the enemy and captured their first line within a short period of time. Later they found out the dead body of Rahman. Thus Dhalai border outpost was captured. Sepoy Hamidur Rahman’s attempt helped East Bengal Regiment to win that mission. He was buried in Tripura in India. On 27 October 2007, Advisers of the Bangladesh Caretaker government decided to bring back his remaining to Bangladesh and bury him besides Bir Shrestho Matiur Rahman. It is said that the last place he stood alive was about 20 Ft. away from the Pakistani bunker, either in a canal or where the memorial is(near the bunker). The remaining of Hamidur Rahman was bought back to Bangladesh on 10 December 2007 and an 11 December 2007 he was buried again at Buddhijibi Koborsthan (Cemetery), Dhaka.
For the courage, valour, dedication to the cause of his motherland and supreme sacrifice, he was conferred Bir Sreshtho by the nation.
