Roma Chowdhury accorded Guard of Honour

Staff Correspondent, Chattogram: A smart contingent of Bangladesh Police presented Guard of Honour to War Heroine and writer Roma Chowdhury at the Chattogram Central Shaheed Minar on Monday noon.

Earlier around 10:30am, Roma’s body was taken to the Central Shaheed Minar where people from all walks of life paid their last tributes to the War Heroine by placing floral wreaths on her coffin.

Roma Chowdhury, popularly known as EkattorerJanoni (The Mother of 71), passed away at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) early today at the age of 82.

She had been suffering from old age complications including diabetes and hypertension. She breathed her last around 4:30am.

She was undergoing treatment at the hospital's Freedom Fighters' cabin since March 25 and was transferred to the ICU of the hospital on August 25 when her condition deteriorated.

She was brought back to a cabin on August 29 as her condition improved slightly. On Sunday evening and she was put on life support.

Roma Chowdhury had been suffering from illness since she sustained a fracture in her waist after falling down at her one-room tiny house on Lusai Bhaban at Cheragi Intersection in the port city on December 24, 2017, said Alauddin Ahmed Khokan, publisher of her books who used to take care of the writer.

Born at Popadia village under Boalkhali upazila in Chattogram on 14 October, 1936, Rama Chowdhury fell a victim to perverted Pakistani military forces at her residence on 13 May, 1971 during the liberation war.

Roma obtained her MA in Bengali Literature from Dhaka University in 1961 and started teaching at Cox’s Bazar Girls’ High School the following year. Perhaps she was the first female of southern Chattogram to graduate from Dhaka University.

Roma was the headmistress of Bidugram High School in Boalkhali upazila of Chattogram in 1971.

She wrote 18 books and depicted her struggle in the Liberation War in one of those titled EkattorerJanoni (The Mother of 71).

Her books include 1001 Din Japoner Padyo (Poetry of Living 1001 Days), Vab-Boichitre Rabindranath (Rabindranath in Variety of Expression), Agun Ranga Agun Jhora (Of Fire Dazzling Of Fire Burning) and Ashru Veja Ekti Din (A Day of Tears).


risingbd/Chattogram/Sept 3, 2018/Rezaul/AI