-Md. Kamal Uddin: Chittagong today bid farewell to another veteran politician, a seasoned organizer and a brave soldier of the Liberation War. The funeral prayers of the valiant freedom fighter, former Housing and Public Works Minister and Engineer Mosharraf Hossain were held at the city’s traditional Jamiatul Falah National Mosque grounds with state honors at 11 am on Thursday. People from different areas of the city had gathered from the morning to attend the funeral. Along with leaders and activists of Awami League and its associate organizations, valiant freedom fighters, political leaders, journalists, lawyers, teachers, cultural workers, professionals and people from various classes and professions attended the funeral. The entire mosque premises and the surrounding area became heavy with grief. As part of the state honor, strict security measures were taken by the administration. A large number of members of the Chittagong Metropolitan Police were deployed to maintain law and order. According to the sources, the city police commissioner monitored the overall situation and gave special instructions to ensure the participation of people from all walks of life attending the funeral. Many say that the administration’s initiative to rise above party divisions and honor a heroic freedom fighter and veteran politician was commendable. Special attention was given to traffic control, security and crowd management so that the common man could attend the funeral without any hindrance. Before and after the funeral, his colleagues, followers and well-wishers recalled various aspects of Engineer Mosharraf Hossain’s long political life. The speakers said that he was an experienced guardian of Chittagong politics, who had spent his life in politics with the spirit of the Liberation War. He played an important role in the country’s infrastructural development, expansion of the housing sector and the implementation of various development projects in Chittagong. His courageous role during the Liberation War was also remembered. Many say that for the current generation, he was not just a politician, but a symbol of the spirit of independence and organizational strength. However, in this atmosphere of mourning, some political activities have given rise to new controversies. After the funeral, slogans of ‘Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu’ were raised in the mosque premises. In addition, there have been allegations of Awami League leaders and activists holding processions in different areas of the city. Especially, the large procession from WASA intersection to GEC intersection attracted the attention of the city residents. This incident has created adverse reactions among a section of the general public. Many have raised the question, shouldn’t the funeral of a heroic freedom fighter be limited to an atmosphere of mourning, respect and prayers? Some feel that the attempt to show party power around the funeral has made the situation uncomfortable. According to informed circles, where the government and administration had taken the initiative to show due state honors to a veteran freedom fighter, the behavior of some overzealous leaders and activists has put the entire arrangement in the face of controversy. The police administration has also unexpectedly faced criticism in this. It is known that the law and order forces are seriously monitoring the issue of processions and slogans in different places of the city. Sources concerned said,Preparations are underway to take legal action in some cases on charges of prohibited political activities or public order violations. Although the administration has not yet released an official statement on this matter. Engineer Mosharraf Hossain was a well-known and influential name in the political and social arena of Chittagong. He has been praised as well as criticized in his long political life for decades. But the spontaneous participation of people in the funeral after his death proved that his position in Chittagong politics was deep and influential. On the day of his final farewell, there was grief, respect and remembrance on one side; on the other hand, there were political emotions, debates and administrative questions. All in all, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain’s funeral has become not only a religious formality, but also an important reflection of the contemporary political reality of Chittagong. Chittagong City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain, former City Mayor Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, along with leaders of the Awami League and various political parties, paid tribute to the deceased and spoke at the funeral. A large number of freedom fighters, socio-cultural figures and people from all walks of life were also present at the funeral. After another round of funeral prayers in Mirsarai, the brave freedom fighter Engineer Mosharraf Hossain will be buried with state honors at the family graveyard in Dhumgram, his birthplace in Mirsarai.