Hamidullah Khan passes away

Veteran freedom fighter M Hamidullah Khan Bir Pratik, one of the sector commanders of the Liberation War, passed away at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in the capital yesterday.
He was 74.
Hamidullah, a retired wing commander and a former BNP lawmaker, left behind his wife, two sons and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.
His first namaz-e-janeza will be held at Allama Jame mosque at Dhaka Cantonment around 10:00am today.
His body will then be taken to BNP central office at Naya Paltan around 11:00am where the party leaders and workers will pay their last respect. Another namaz-e-janeza will be held there.
The decision on his burial will be taken after his younger son returns home from Japan, BNP leaders said.
Hamidullah was taken to CMH after he fell sick yesterday morning, said BNP leaders quoting his daughter-in-law Raisa Wali Khan.
He breathed his last at the hospital around 2:30pm, said BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Hamidullah, also the Liberation War affairs secretary of BNP, had been suffering from high blood pressure, family sources said.
His body was taken to his Dhaka Cantonment residence from CMH yesterday afternoon. Hearing the death news, relatives, well-wishers and BNP central leaders including its acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir rushed to his residence.
Atiqullah Khan Masud, editor of the daily Janakantha, is the younger brother of Hamidullah while Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Faruk Khan is his brother-in-law.
Born on September 11, 1938 at Medinimandal village of Louhajang upazila in Munshiganj, Hamidullah took the charge of sector-11 after legendary freedom fighter Col M Abu Taher was wounded seriously in the battle against Pakistani occupation forces during the 1971 war.
He joined the then Pakistan Air Force in 1959 after his graduation. He was beside AK Khandkar during the surrender of Pakistan army on December 16, 1971.
Hamidullah was elected member of parliament thrice from Munshiganj-2 constituency (Louhojong and Sirajdikhan) in 1979, 1991 and 1996 (February 15 election).
He was defeated in 2008 election in a constituency of Dhaka.
Hamidullah had joined Awami League in 1996 but returned to BNP within a year and stayed there until his death.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami condoled his death.
Hamidullah wrote books on Liberation War.