Arafat Rahman, the youngest son of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia and former president Ziaur Rahman, laid to rest at Banani graveyard in the evening after funeral prayers at Baitul Mukarram mosque in the capital.
Thousands of people joined the funeral prayers in and around the mosque and accompanied the coffin on its way to Banani.
Earlier, authorities concerned declined to bury him at the army graveyard. Both of the cemeteries are located at Banani.
His body was kept at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office till around 2:40pm.
People from all walks of life paid their tributes to Arafat there.
A Malaysian Airlines flight (MH 102) carrying Arafat’s body landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Kuala Lumpur around 11:50am, our correspondent reported.
Top BNP leaders received the body from the hanger gate of the airport, they said.
The party standing committee members Abdul Moyeen Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan,vice-chairmen Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf and Abdullah Al Noman, and international affairs secretary Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury went to the airport to receive the body.
Security was beefed up around the airport area.
From the airport, the body was taken to BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office around 1:30pm where Khaleda Zia has been staying since January 3. The government had kept Khaleda confined to her office from January 3 to 19.
Khaleda did not meet Arafat since 2007 when both of them were arrested from their cantonment house following the January 11, 2007 political changeover.
Arafat Rahman died of a heart attack in Malaysia on Saturday.
Ghayebana janazas for Arafat were held at places in the country and also at New York and London. Khaleda Zia’s eldest son and BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman attended a janaza for Arafat at east London Sunday, party sources said.
BNP started a three-day mourning programme Monday over the death of Arafat Rahman.
As part of the programme, black flag has been hoisted and the party flag has been kept at half-mast at its offices across the country.
The party leaders and activists were wearing black badge, offering prayers, Quran Khwani and milad mahfil seeking eternal salvation of the departed soul.
Source: New Age
