Father Marino Rigon laid to rest in Mongla

Father Marino Rigon, a recipient of “Friends of Liberation War Honour” -- who died in October last year in Italy, was laid to rest yesterday at Shelabunia Church cemetery in Mongla of Bagerhat.

Honouring his last wish, Father Marino's mortal remains were buried at the cemetery of the church that he founded, after he came to Bangladesh in 1953 to spread the teachings of Christianity.

Earlier, the coffin with his remains arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on a Turkish Airlines flight. It reached Bagerhat around 9:45am and the burial was completed by 3:00pm, said Iqbal Bahar Chowdury, officer-in-charge of Mongla Police Station.

A guard of honour was given to the Father at the churchyard, where people from all walks of life paid tributes to him at Mongla Upazila Parishad ground, the OC added.

Khulna city Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque, Superintendent of Police in Bagerhat Pankoj Chandra Roy, and Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Tapan Kumar Biswas were present on the occasion, among others.

Italian national Father Rigon was given honorary citizenship of Bangladesh in 2009 and was conferred the “Friends of Liberation War Honour” award in 2012, for his support and contribution during the country's war of independence in 1971.

During Bangladesh's Liberation War, Father Rigon was at Baniarchar Church in Gopalganj. He provided support and medical treatment to sick and injured freedom fighters, and actively took part in the war.

After Bangladesh's its independence, he made Shelabunia of Mongla his permanent residence.

Father Rigon translated 40 books throughout his life, including Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore, 350 folk songs by Lalon Shah and Naksikanthar Maath, Sojan Badiyar Ghaat and a number of poems by Jasim Uddin.

“I have Rabindranath in my head and Lalon in my heart,” Francis Sudan Halder, former headteacher of St Paul's High School, quoted Father Rigon as saying often. 

He also established 17 institutions including St Paul's High School, St Paul's Hospital and St Paul's Sewing Education Center (a Naksikantha workshop for women).

In 2014, when the priest fell gravely ill with cardiac disease, his brother took him to Italy. Father Rigon breathed his last at age 92 on October 20 in 2017, in Vicenza.