The body of BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko will be brought back home on Tuesday.
A BNP statement said this on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, Khaleda’s press wing official Shairul Kabir Khan said Rahman is likely to be brought back home on Monday.
Meanwhile, the party announced that they will observe mourning days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to mark the death of Arafat Rahman Koko, son of party founder Ziaur Rahman and party chairperson Khaleda Zia.
To mark the mourning days, black flag will be hoisted in the party offices across the country and party leaders and activists will wear black badge, said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of the party, at a press release.
The press statement also said Koko’s Namaz-e-Janaja will be held on Tuesday after Asar Prayer in front of the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters and Gayebana Janaza will be held across the country on Wednesday.
In the mean time, different political party leaders, foreign diplomats have visited Khaleda’s office to express their condolence to Khaleda but none was able to meet the former prime minister.
British High Commissioner to Dhaka Robert W Gibson and David Meale, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Dhaka and some other representatives of different embassies visited Khaleda’s office.
BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan and Vice Chairman Selima Rahman received the diplomats. The diplomats signed in the mourning book that was kept in the ground floor of the two-storied building.
On Sunday morning, Khaleda’s brother Shamim Iskandar and two others have flown to Malaysia to bring Arafat Rahman Koko’s body.
Koko’s janaza was held on Sunday after Zohr prayers at the Malaysian national mosque Masjid Negara in Kuala Lumpur.
Arafat Rahman Koko died in Malaysia on Saturday from a massive cardiac arrest.
Koko had been living in a rented house as a citizen in Ampang in Kuala Lumpur with his wife Shamila Rahman Sithi and daughters Zafia Rahman and Zahira Rahman.
Koko left Bangladesh in July 2008 for Thailand for treatment and later moved to Malaysia. He has not come back since.
Following the political changeover of January 11 in 2007, Khaleda and her sons – Tarique and Koko – were arrested on graft charges.
Koko was arrested along with his mother Khaleda Zia on September 3, 2007, months after the army-backed caretaker government assumed office.
He was sentenced to six years in prison and fined Tk19 lakh for siphoning money to Singapore between 2004 and 2006 when his mother was the prime minister.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
