Narail: The 90th birth anniversary of Bir Shrestha Nur Mohammad Sheikh was observed in Narail today with due respect and solemnity through a series of commemorative programs. The celebrations began at 8:00 am with a Quran recitation at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Lance Naik Nur Mohammad Sheikh Library and Memorial Museum auditorium. A rally followed at 10:30 am, and a wreath-laying ceremony with a guard of honor was held at 11:00 am at the memorial of Lance Naik Nur Mohammad Sheikh.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a discussion meeting took place at 11:30 am at the library and memorial museum auditorium. Key figures in attendance included Deputy Commissioner Dr. Mohammad Abdul Salam, Chief Executive Officer of the Zila Parishad Md. Asaduzzaman, and Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Md. Ahsan Mahmud Russell. Also present were Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer T.M. Rahsin Kabir, Additional Superintendent of Police Noor-e Alam Siddiqui, and the martyr’s son, SM Golam Mostafa Kamal.
A special prayer meeting was conducted to seek eternal peace for the departed soul of the valiant freedom fighter. Bir Shrestha Nur Mohammad Sheikh, born on February 26, 1936, in the village of Mahishkhola (now Noor Mohammadnagar), was honored by having his village renamed on March 18, 2008, in recognition of his heroism.
He joined the then East Pakistan Rifles (EPR), now Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), on March 14, 1959. After serving at the Dinajpur border, he was transferred to the Jashore sector on July 10, 1970, and promoted to Lance Naik. During the 1971 Liberation War, he participated under Sector No-8 in the Jashore region, fighting bravely under Captain Nazmul Huda.
On September 5, 1971, Nur Mohammad Sheikh displayed remarkable courage during a battle in Jashore. Despite being seriously wounded, he continued to advance and fire at the enemy while carrying a wounded comrade. He ultimately embraced martyrdom while defending his fellow fighters. He was laid to rest in Kashipur, Sharsha upazila of Jashore, and was posthumously awarded the ‘Bir Shrestha,’ the country’s highest gallantry award, for his supreme sacrifice in the Liberation War.