Italian Bangladeshi 1971 veteran Marino Rigon passes away

Italian born Bangladesh's honorary citizen and freedom fighter Father Marino Rigon passed away in Italy on Friday night at the age of 92.

Ravisankar Maitree, a Bangladeshi cultural activist in Paris, confirmed the death of Regon by a Facebook status.

Citing Father Rigon's niece Alessandro Janine and Marta Zanin, Maitree said the priest breathed his last while undergoing treatment in Italy's Vicenza at 9 pm (Bangladesh time) on Friday.

Rigon was born on January 5, 1925 at Villaverla in Italy and came to Bangladesh in 1953 and stayed at Haldibunia village of Mongla for long, according to the Facebook status.

Father Rigon took part in the Liberation War of Bangladesh by sheltering and taking care of injured freedom fighters during the war in 1971

The government honoured him with honorary citizenship in 2009.

State Minister for Public Administration Ministry Ismat Ara Sadique, in a message of condolence, today expressed profound shock at the death of Bangladesh's honorary citizen Rigon.

The state minister recalled Rigon's contributions to the Bangladesh's War of Liberation and prayed for salvation of the departed soul.