Eighty-one years after their burial, the remains of Japanese soldiers interred at the Mainamati War Cemetery in Comilla have recently been repatriated.
Although records indicate the burial of 24 Japanese soldiers, the remains of 23 were recovered.
Over 10 days, excavation and recovery operations revealed that the skulls, jaws and teeth of the recovered skeletons were mostly intact.
Meanwhile, several skulls bore circular marks, leading to speculation that they may have been shot in the head.
Lt Col (Retd) Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir, a Bir Protik awardee and an expert in excavation, who was the focal point for this sensitive task, shared insights about the burial and repatriation of the Japanese soldiers' remains from Bangladesh.
How they came to Comilla
During World War II, Japanese forces launched attacks on Burma, now Myanmar, facing resistance from British troops. At the time, the British had established cantonments in Chittagong and Comilla in present-day Bangladesh. Field Marshal William Slim, commander of the forces, had also built an underground command post in Mainamati.
The Burma front saw significant casualties, and many injured – comprising British, American, Japanese, African and Frontier Force personnel – were sent to Comilla and Chittagong for treatment. The majority were Christian or Muslim, but the religious affiliations of some Africans remain unclear.
Field Marshal Slim had established two British general hospitals in Chittagong and Comilla, which began operations in 1941.
In response to the rising number of deaths, Field Marshal Slim initiated an “army grave service” in 1943 and formed a committee to identify burial sites.
Kazi Abdul Motaleb, a Kolkata University graduate Bengalee and a veteran of the Burma front, joined this effort. His son, Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir, would later take on the responsibility of preserving this history.
“My father would say this location had been chosen for several reasons. It was beautiful, surrounded by flowering plants and trees, and situated in a hilly area," the former military officer said.
The war cemetery, completed in 1943, began interments in 1944, he added.
It now contains 736 graves, including over 170 of Muslims, 24 of Japanese soldiers and 503 of British troops, among whom the highest-ranking officer was a brigadier general with two medals.
The burial of Japanese soldiers, as adversaries in the war, had raised a dilemma. "The dead should have no enemies," Quazi Sajjad recalled what his father had said to his senior officers.
Following this principle, the Japanese soldiers were buried there.
Repatriation efforts
In 2013, Japan initiated efforts to repatriate their remains.
"My first discussions with the Japanese began in 2013," said Quazi Sajjad.
However, progress was delayed due to the Holy Artisan attack in 2016. When activities resumed, the excavation and repatriation process began.
The Commonwealth was involved in the excavation process and set certain conditions beforehand. These included ensuring the protection of other graves, allowing Commonwealth representatives to inspect the cemetery, minimizing damage during excavation and restoring any disturbances to their original state.
Quazi Sajjad said the restoration work had already begun. The graves had been refilled and the headstones would soon be reinstalled, he added.
Recovery of remains
Initially, the graves were marked only with wooden crosses, which later deteriorated.
In 1951, the Commonwealth installed permanent headstones. Among the 24 Japanese soldiers buried, 20 have been identified by name, while four remain unidentified.
Since the Japanese were on the opposing side, no formal rituals were performed during their burials; local contractors were tasked with burying the bodies.
"In one grave, we found two skeletons almost fused together. In another, the skull was positioned in the opposite direction. In some cases, only a single arm or leg was found, while the other limbs were missing. This suggests that some of the bodies were buried with severed limbs," Quazi Sajjad noted.
"The skulls, jawbones, and teeth were well-preserved. Several skulls had circular marks, indicating that they might have been shot in the head."
Although metallic tools were used for initial digging, bamboo sticks and brushes were employed during the recovery of the remains to avoid causing damage.
Transporting the remains also posed significant challenges – the boxes containing the remains were not scanned at the airport, and instead of using forklifts, they were manually carried and placed on conveyor belts to ensure careful handling.
