Passing away of Sadeque Hossain Khoka

The death of Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Bir Protik, former BNP vice-chairman and mayor of Dhaka, is a great loss, particularly for BNP. He was suffering from kidney cancer since 2014 and was undergoing treatment at a US hospital where he passed away on November 4. We express our deep condolences to his family and hope they find the strength to bear the irreparable loss.

Khoka was a valiant freedom fighter and a politician. His political career started during his student life, being elected a member of East Pakistan Chhatra Union Dhaka chapter in 1966. He also participated in the anti-Ayub movement and joined the Liberation War as a guerrilla freedom fighter and was awarded the Bir Pratik for his gallantry.

A two-term cabinet minister, Khoka’s leadership role had been of utmost importance for BNP. He earned the trust of his party through his commitment and ability to mobilise people. He will be remembered for his role in defusing tensions that were created in Old Dhaka following the demolition of Babri Mosque in India in 1992.

Khoka had earned his position in people’s mind not only as a political leader but also as a city mayor. He was elected the mayor of undivided Dhaka City Corporation in 2002, and held the post for nearly nine years until the corporation split into two. He played an important role in naming the Dhaka streets after our veteran and martyred freedom fighters. We hope he will be accorded the honours due to a deceased freedom fighter.