Tarique recites doa besides his mother’s coffin
Staff Reporter :
Tarique Rahman, the elder son of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, has been seen reciting the Quranic doa beside his mother’s coffin ahead of her funeral prayers.
His wife Zubaida Rahman, their daughter Zaima Rahman and his sister-in-law Syeda Sharmila Rahman were also seen offering prayers at the BNP leader’s residence in Dhaka’s Gulshan on Wednesday.
A vehicle draped with the national flag brought Khaleda’s remains to the residence from Evercare Hospital. Family members and senior BNP leaders later paid their respects.
Among those present were Zahia Rahman and Zafia Rahman, the daughters of Khaleda’s late younger son Arafat Rahman Koko.
Other relatives at the house included her younger brother Shamim Eskandar and his wife Kaniz Fatema, her middle sister Selima Islam, and Nasrin Eskandar, the wife of her late brother Sayeed Eskandar, along with Zubaida’s mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu.
Senior BNP figures, including the party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas and Hafizuddin Ahmed, were also present.
Khaleda moved into her Gulshan residence, known as Feroza, after being evicted from her home inside the Dhaka Cantonment on Nov 13, 2010, during the Awami League government’s tenure. Her son Tarique returned to Bangladesh on Dec 25 after more than 17 years in exile in the United Kingdom and moved into the neighbouring house No. 196.
The house was originally allocated to Khaleda following the assassination of her husband, former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman. A few months ago, the property’s ownership documents were formally handed over to the BNP chairperson by the government.
Khaleda died early on Tuesday morning at Evercare Hospital, where she had been receiving treatment for the past 40 days. She was 79.
Her funeral prayers will be held around 2pm on Wednesday after Zuhr prayers at Manik Mia Avenue. Her coffin will be placed at the western end of the avenue.
The Chief Advisor’s Office said the prayers will take place across the inner grounds of the Parliament complex, its outer areas, and the entire length of Manik Mia Avenue. In a statement, it added that special arrangements will be made for women wishing to attend.
Following the prayers, at around 3:30pm, the BNP chief will be buried with full state honours beside the grave of her husband.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said traffic would be restricted on Wednesday along several routes to facilitate the transport of the BNP leader’s coffin. These include the roads leading out of Evercare Hospital, the July 36 Expressway, Kuril Flyover, Navy Headquarters, Gulshan-2, Kamal Ataturk Avenue, Airport Road, Mohakhali Flyover, Jahangir Gate, and Bijoy Sarani.
Khaleda, who earned a reputation as an “uncompromising leader” through the anti-autocracy movement of the 1990s, led the BNP for 41 years. She served as a five-time member of parliament, was prime minister on three occasions, and twice held the position of leader of the opposition.