Abu Osman Chowdhury, a sector commander during the Liberation War in 1971, passed away at a hospital in the capital on Saturday morning. He was 85.

He breathed his last at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at around 8:00am while undergoing treatment.

Abul Bashar, a personal assistant of Abu Osman Chowdhury, confirmed the news.

Abu Osman, who served as the commander of sector-8 during the Liberation War, tested positive for Covid-19 on August 30.

Later, the war hero was rushed to CMH as his condition deteriorated.

Osman, who won the Independence Award for his contribution to Bangladesh’s freedom, had been suffering from old-age complications for a long time.

Born in Chandpur’s Faridganj on Jan 1, 1936, Osman was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 1958 after passing BA at Cumilla Victoria College. He was promoted to major in 1968.

Osman married Nazia Khanom in 1960. Nasima and Fauzia Osman are their two daughters.

When the Pakistan Army launched the genocide of the Bengalis in Dhaka on Mar 25 night in 1971, Osman was in Kushtia, working as the commander of the East Pakistan Rifle’s fourth wing in Chuadanga.

He led a group of soldiers to Chuadanga the following morning and joined the Liberation War. He was given the charge of sector No 8 in the southwest.

Osman led a platoon of soldiers to give a guard of honour to the newly formed cabinet of Bangladesh at Baidyanathtala in Meherpur on Apr 17 during the war.

His wife Nazia also helped the freedom fighters by guarding arms and ammunition and their families with food, water, money and medicine.

After independence, Osman was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made him the director of the Army Service Corps.

During the coups and countercoups on Nov 7 in 1975 after the assassination of Bangabandhu, a group of army personnel attacked Osman’s home in Dhaka’s Gulshan.

He was away, but the assailants killed Nazia.

Osman played a key role in the formation of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, which was formed to demand justice for the 1971 war atrocities.