Veteran leftist politician, freedom fighter Haider Akbar Khan Rono was laid to rest at Banani Graveyard next to his parents in a peaceful burial ceremony on Monday.
People from all walks of life paid homage to Rono when his body was taken to Shaheed Minar on Monday morning, he was given a guard of honour at Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka this morning, however, his body was also taken to the CPB office where leaders and workers paid tributes to him party.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir mourn the death a paid tribute to the Marxist theoretician in separate statements.
Rono, 81, an adviser to the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), had been suffering from chronic lung disease for several years. He breathed his last at the Health and Hope Hospital on Friday. His body was kept at the mortuary of Samarita Hospital as his grandchildren were abroad.
His namaz-e-janaza was held at Dhaka University Central Mosque after Zohr prayers, according to his last wish, his corneas were donated to Sandhani Eye Hospital.
Born in Kolkata in 1942, Rono was one of the first student leaders to publicly speak against Pakistani autocrat Ayub Khan during the 1962 movement. Initially he joined left the Workers Party of Bangladesh, he left the part in 2010 and joined the CPB due to differences of opinion with party leaders. He was given the responsibility of a presidium member of CPB in 2012. He held that position until 2022 when he became an adviser to the CPB Central Committee.
He also played important roles in the 1962 students movement, the 1969 mass upsurge, 1980s anti-autocrat movement, and the 1990 mass upsurge. Rono was also the general secretary of East Pakistan Chhatra Union between 1963 and 1965, after which he joined the labour movement and even lived in the workers slums in Tongi area.
In 1970, he was elected general secretary of the East Bengal Sramik Federation, the largest labour organisation of the then East Pakistan. He had to go into hiding seven times due to arrest warrants.
In addition to his political activities, he wrote at least 25 books and numerous articles on Marxism, politics, history, philosophy, economics, literature and physics.
In 2022, he received the Bangla Academy Shahitya Puroshkar. His autobiography "Shatabdi Periye" earned him the award of "Prothom Alo Book of the Year" in 2005.
Rono has left behind a daughter and two grandchildren.
