DHAKA, June 24: Thirty-five years ago, Matiur Rahman, an air force officer from former East Pakistan, tried to defect in his military jet from Karachi to join the guerillas fighting the Pakistan Army in his homeland.

Rashid Minhas, his co-pilot, forced the jet to crash, killing them both.

The Bangladesh government had asked Pakistan to return Rahman’s remains after a request by his family.

The pilot’s remains finally returned home on Saturday for a state funeral.

M. Matiur Rahman’s flag-draped coffin was received by Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on behalf of the nation, as members of the country’s defence forces gave a guard of honour, broadcast live by the state-run Bangladesh Television.

Rahman’s widow Milly, relatives and former colleagues were also present at Dhaka’s Zia International Airport.

“It’s going to be a special day for the nation,” Milly Rahman said earlier. “The son of this soil is coming back, I am grateful to all for making it true.”

Air Force officers acted as pallbearers as the coffin was unloaded from a special flight of the national carrier, Biman Bangladesh. A six-member official team from Bangladesh had gone to Karachi to accompany the coffin.

Rahman’s coffin will be kept at a national parade ground in the capital for public viewing on Sunday, and his remains will be buried with state honours along side other independence heroes, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs said in a statement.

A commissioned air force officer, Rahman died on Aug 20, 1971, in a plane crash as he tried to flee Karachi across India to East Pakistan in an air force training craft. India had sealed its land border for the duration of the war.

Rahman was training the second pilot, Rashid Minhas, at the time he made his escape attempt. Minhas is said to have forced the plane to crash. Both men died.

Rashid Minhas became the youngest air force officer in Pakistan to get the highest military award, the Nishan-i- Haider.

In Islamabad, foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said the request to return the remains were part of government policy to improve relations between the two nations.

Matiur Rahman was given the title of Bir Shrestha, or Greatest of the Heroes, by the Bangladesh government for his attempt to defect.—AP