The body of honorary Bangladeshi citizen and freedom fighter Father Marino Rigon will arrive in Bangladesh on Sunday, a year after his death, in accordance with his final wishes.
The Bangladesh government will bury the priest, who devoted his life to the care and welfare of people in Bagerhat’s Mongla, next to the Shelabunia Church in the area where he preached.
Rigon, who received the Friends of the Liberation War award, breathed his last at a hospital in Italy’s Vicenzo on Oct 20, 2017.
The foreign ministry of Bangladesh issued a statement on Saturday in this regard, reports bdnews24.com.
“The Bangladesh government has completed the necessary formalities to allow his body to be laid to rest next to the Shelabunia Church in Bagerhat’s Mongla in accordance with his final wishes,” the statement said.
Born on January 5, 1925 at Villaverla in Italy, Father Rigon came to Bangladesh in 1953 and stayed at Haldibunia village of Mongla.
He played a key role in poverty alleviation, the expansion of education, providing medical services and working for the development of poor women.
He took part in the Liberation War of Bangladesh by sheltering and taking care of injured freedom fighters during the 1971 war.
The government granted him honorary citizenship in 2009.
He also translated a number of Bangla literary works, including Rabindranath Tagore's Geetanjali, mystic poet Lalon Shah’ songs, and Jasim Uddin's Nakshikanthar Math, to Italian.
Many of the books were later re-translated to French, Spanish and Portuguese.
Father Rigon established a Rabindra study centre in Italy in 1990.
He also highlighted Bangladesh's traditional Nakshikantha, a type of embroidered quilt, in Italy. Nakshikanthas produced in his Shelabunia Sewing Centre have been exhibited in Italian cities.
Education was his major area of work in Bangladesh. During his time, he oversaw 17 educational institutions in the country.
A Bangladeshi theatre troupe staged musical drama Nakshikanthar Math in Italy with his help in 1986.
