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guerrillas to join the commissioned officers’ corps of the army.

“In the first batch, 60 of us were selected to undergo training for officers, and I was one of them. In the second batch, there were 90 more. Anam was in the second batch.”

Maj Gen (retd) Jamil added, “There was no fanfare, no band, no drill ... but we heard the deafening noise of the war to join our comrades, and we went back to the battlefield.”

The two batches underwent an intensive three-month training. “We answered the call of the motherland when the country needed us,” he said.

The country was liberated during the officer training of the second batch of the guerrilla fighters, of which Anam was a part. Then, in February 1972, the guerrillas were repatriated.

“These cadets pioneered the all-Bangladesh officers’ batch of the Bangladesh Army in 1972,” said Maj Gen (retd) Jamil. “Several, like Anam, went on to continue their studies and lead civilian lives... He [Anam] studied economics in Dhaka University and made his mark in the country as a journalist.”

The editor’s training mates then handed over a memento of appreciation to him.

Upon receiving the honour, Mahfuz Anam thanked his comrades and said their bond of friendship created during the war has lasted for over the last 55 years and will endure till death parts them.

“When friendships are born at war, those friendships are absolutely immaculate and irreplaceable.”