Bangladesh’s friend Father Marino dies in Italy

Bangladesh’s honorary citizen and freedom fighter Father Marino Rigon died while undergoing treatment in Italy’s Vicenza at 9pm on Friday (Bangladesh local time). He was 92.

In a Facebook video, Ravisankar Maitree, a Bangladeshi cultural activist in Paris, confirmed the news of Father Rigon’s death.

Born on Jan 5, 1925 at Villaverla in Italy, Father Rigon came to Bangladesh in 1953 and stayed at Haldibunia village of Mongla for a long time.

Father Rigon took part in the Liberation War of Bangladesh by sheltering and taking care of injured freedom fighters during the 1971 war.

The government honoured him with citizenship in 2009.

He also translated a number of Bangla literary works, including Rabindranath Tagore's Geetanjali, mystic poet Lalon Fakir's songs, and Jasim Uddin's Nakshikanthar Math, in 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.