The death of former army chief and freedom fighter Lt General (Retd) M Harun-Ar-Rashid Bir Pratik in a room at the Chattogram Club on Monday has created a huge hullabaloo amid the turbulent political situation.
Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali police station Abdul Karim said the body was sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for an autopsy, and the cause of death will be confirmed after receiving the report.
Police recovered the body around noon after being informed by the authorities.
Family sources said the former army chief, aged 78, might have died of a brain haemorrhage as he had been suffering from various diseases.
Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Deputy Commissioner (South) Md. Alamgir Hossain said that Gen Harun arrived in the city on Sunday afternoon and checked into a VIP room at the club at 4pm. After an hour, he left the club and returned at 10:45pm.
Destiny-2000 Limited Managing Director Mohammad Rafiqul Amin said they both went to Chattogram to appear in a Chattogram court in a case on Monday. โAs he did not go to court on time, his mobile phone was called, but he did not pick up. Due to this, club officials went to the room and found him dead.โ
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He said: โWe came to Chattogram several times previously in response to summons in court cases. He had booked a flight for tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.โ
Gen Harun joined the controversial Destiny Group as president in 2006. He was arrested in 2012 after allegations of fraud and irregularities were raised against Destiny. He was also sentenced in a case. In 2022, he was granted bail considering his health.
In April this year, Rafiqul Amin floated a new political party named “Bangladesh A-Am Janata Party” (BAJP).
Recently, the army arrested Major MD Sadequl Hoque allegedly for aiding the Awami League to regroup and arranging training for its activists. His family members denied the allegation, saying that Maj Sadeq had been suffering from various physical complications for several months.
Eventful life
Gen Harun was born in 1948. He is a resident of Hathazari, Chattogram. He was awarded the title of Bir Pratik for his contribution to the Liberation War, the third-highest gallantry award in the country.
Commissioned as a young lieutenant in the Pakistani Army in September 1970, Gen Harun served as the Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army from December 2000 to June 2002.
After his retirement, he was vocal against the atrocities committed by the war criminals and accused Pakistan of threatening the national security of Bangladesh.
He also served as a former high commissioner to Australia. He worked for the United Nations and had many testimonials of credit.
In the month of October 1971, Lt Harun led his company alongside the newly formed 9th East Bengal Regiment in the fight against the Pakistani Army in the bloodbath of the battle of Kasba.
Kasba was captured by the 9th EBR, and then, Lt Harun went to fight in the hills of Latumura in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The attack in Latumura was actually planned by the Indian Army, and Lt Harun’s company was at first ordered to capture the village of Chandrapura near the Indian border, close to the Latumura hills. With the fall of Chandrapura, it seemed easier for the joint forces of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini to move in to capture the Latumura hills.
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