Decorated freedom fighter Taramon Bibi, Bir Pratik, passed away at her home at Shankar Madhabpur in Rajibpur of Kurigram early Saturday. She was 62.
The war heroine, who had been suffering from respiratory problems and diabetes, breathed her last around 1:30am, said her son Abu Taher.
Taramon Bibi received treatment at Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka last month as her condition had deteriorated, said her husband Abdul Majid.
She is survived by her husband, a son and a daughter.
The Bir Pratik was buried at her family graveyard after zuhr prayers with state honours.
Local administration officials, freedom fighters and thousands of mourners attended her last rites at Rajibpur Upazila Parishad Square.
President Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina expressed their deep shock and sorrow at the death of the freedom fighter.
In a message of condolence, prime minister Sheikh Hasina prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved family members, followers and admires of the late freedom fighter.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury also expressed her shock at the death of Taramon Bibi.
Taramon Bibi was one of the two female freedom fighters in Bangladesh who received the gallantry award Bir Pratik as she had engaged in direct combat during the liberation war in 1971.
Taramon had joined Mukti Bahini, a guerrilla force that fought against the Pakistani occupation force, during the liberation war.
She had fought in sector 11 under the leadership of sector commander Abu Taher.
After the war, Taramon was awarded Bir Pratik by the government. But her whereabouts were unknown and the award was never handed over to her.
She herself remained unaware of this until 1995 when a researcher from Mymensingh discovered her. Taramon was finally given her award by the prime minister on December 19, 1995.
Taramon Bibi was born in a poor family in village Shankar Madhabpur in Rajibpur of Kurigram.
Kurigram Press Club president Ahshan Habib Nilu said that Taramon Bibi was about 14 years when the war of liberation began. Rajibpur Upazila was under sector 11 during the liberation war.
She cooked for the freedom fighters, washed their clothes and transport arms to the freedom fighters.
Under the disguise of a mentally disturbed woman, she spied for the freedom fighters, traced down the Pakistani soldiers and their camps so that the freedom fighters could attack them successfully.
She took arms training and fought alongside the freedom fighters.
Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Ganasamhati Andolan, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front and Chhatra Union in separate news releases expressed condolence over the death of Taramon.