Bir Sreshtho Matiur Rahman's mural being rebuilt on larger scale in Narsingdi

A mural commemorating Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman, removed temporarily for the Dhaka–Sylhet Highway expansion, is being reconstructed on a significantly larger scale in Narsingdi.

The reconstruction work was formally inaugurated on Friday afternoon (January 23) at Mahmudabad Namapara in Raipura upazila by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Masud Rana. Local dignitaries were present at the ceremony.

According to the upazila administration, the mural was removed on January 20 to facilitate the six-lane expansion of the Dhaka–Sylhet Highway. Officials said the decision was taken with the consent of Matiur Rahman’s family.

UNO Md Masud Rana said the new mural will be rebuilt beside the highway but outside the road development area, following the original design. The structure will measure 30 feet by 30 feet, nearly double the size of the previous 16-by-16-foot mural, ensuring greater visibility.

He said authorities had initially planned to carry out the roadwork without relocating the mural, but it ultimately fell within the road alignment. The mural was therefore removed temporarily in coordination with the Roads and Highways Department and local administration.

“There is no question of disrespect,” the UNO said, adding that funds have already been allocated and the reconstruction is expected to be completed before March 26.

Officials said the initiative was taken to ensure uninterrupted implementation of the highway expansion project while preserving the memory of the national war hero.

Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman is one of Bangladesh’s seven Bir Sreshthos, the country’s highest gallantry award recipients. He was martyred in a plane crash while attempting to return to Bangladesh with a fighter jet from a Pakistani airbase during the 1971 Liberation War. He was posthumously awarded the title in recognition of his exceptional bravery.

Matiur Rahman’s ancestral home is in Ramnagar village of Raipura upazila, where a museum dedicated to his life and sacrifice was established in 2008. A memorial known as the “Banglar Eagle,” located beside the Dhaka–Sylhet Highway at Mahmudabad Namapara, also stands in his honour.