Bangladesh’s friend Father Marino Rigon passes away in Italy

Italian-born Bangladesh's honorary citizen and freedom fighter Father Marino Rigon has passed away in Italy. He was 92. Ravisankar Maitree, a Bangladeshi cultural activist in Paris, confirmed the death of Rigon by a Facebook status. Citing Father Rigon's niece Alessandro Janine and Marta Zanin, Maitree said the priest breathed his last while undergoing treatment in Italy's Vicenza at 9pm (Bangladesh time) on Friday. Born on January 5, 1925 at Villaverla in Italy, Rigon came to Bangladesh in 1953 and stayed at Haldibunia village of Mongla for a long-time, according to Maitree’s Facebook status. Rigon took part in the Liberation War of Bangladesh by sheltering and taking care of injured freedom fighters during the war in 1971. The government honoured him with honorary citizenship in 2009. State Minister for Public Administration Ministry Ismat Ara Sadique, in a message of condolence, on Saturday expressed profound shock at Rigon’s death. She recalled Rigon's contributions to the Bangladesh's War of Independence and prayed for salvation of his departed soul.