"Adarsha Ekush" East Bengal Regiment's reunion of retired soldiers held.
Daily Bijoy News, Comilla Correspondent:
With a mesmerizing and grand arrangement, the "Adarsha Ekush" East Bengal Regiment's reunion of retired soldiers was held for the first time. On February 14, 2025, Friday, the event took place at "The Palace Thai and Chinese Restaurant and Party Center" in Dhaka.
To make the reunion of retired soldiers of Adarsha Ekush East Bengal Regiment a success, a coordination team of 8 members was formed. Thanks to their tireless efforts, the event was successful. The list of their names is as follows:
- Honorable Captain Md. Nur Islam (Retd.), Kushtia.
- Senior Warrant Officer Md. Kabir Ahmed Sataru (Retd.), Comilla.
- Senior Warrant Officer Md. Joynal (Retd.), Madaripur.
- Sergeant G.M. Said (Retd.), Barisal.
- Sergeant Md. Nazirul Islam (Retd.), Barisal.
- Sergeant Md. Rajab Ali (Retd.), Jessore.
- Sergeant Faruk Hossain (Retd.), Chuadanga.
- Lance Corporal Manjurul (Retd.), Khulna.
Through the hard work of these 8 members, an online WhatsApp group named "Adarsha Ekush" was created. Initially, these eight members joined the group, and gradually, they started adding their acquaintances. They successfully connected over 250 retired soldiers. Subsequently, preparations for the reunion were made through various meetings.
On February 9, 2025, a team of 4 members from the above-mentioned 8-member committee visited the current commanding officer, deputy commanding officer, master warrant officers, JCOs, and soldiers of Adarsha Ekush East Bengal Regiment in Mymensingh, bringing the invitation cards for the event.
On February 14, 2025, Friday, retired soldiers from all over Bangladesh began gathering at the event venue from 8 AM. Before the Friday prayers, around 158 retired soldiers had arrived. The event started at 9 AM with the recitation of the Quran by Senior Warrant Officer Abdus Salam Biswas (Retd.), Pirojpur.
After the welcome speech, Honorable Captain Md. Nurul Islam shared memories of Adarsha Ekush. At one point, the retired soldiers in attendance became emotional, and with tears in their eyes, they expressed, "We are proud soldiers of Adarsha Ekush." He reminisced about his 29 years with Adarsha Ekush and discussed various aspects of it.
At one point, Senior Warrant Officer Md. Kabir Ahmed (Retd.) Sataru was asked to share his memories of Adarsha Ekush. He began by apologizing to all the retired members present. With tears in his eyes, he said, "Adarsha Ekush is my pride, my honor." He recalled that he had served as a soldier of Adarsha Ekush for 26 years, beginning his career in 21. Today, he is known as Senior Warrant Officer Kabir Ahmed, an international swimmer. He also highlighted the numerous swimmers trained under him who have brought honor to Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Army. He apologized if, as a trainer, he had unknowingly caused any pain to anyone and prayed for forgiveness. He also prayed for the families and children of the members.
During the speech, everyone embraced each other with tears in their eyes, sharing memories of Adarsha Ekush. The current commanding officer of Adarsha Ekush, after receiving the invitation card, was very happy and, as a token of appreciation, presented a large cake to the retired soldiers of Adarsha Ekush. The cake-cutting ceremony marked the start of the next activities. Members introduced themselves to each other.
After the Friday prayers, lunch was served, and a lottery was held where three retired soldiers received gifts. To remember this reunion, all members were given a key ring and a mug with the Adarsha Ekush logo. The event concluded with members taking pictures with each other at 5 PM. The coordination committee is considering holding this reunion on a larger scale, including families, next year.
Daily Bijoy News / Md. Abdullah
