Business Desk : dhakamirror.com
Veteran freedom fighter, Independence Award recipient and Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury was buried at Gonoshasthaya Kendra at Savar on Friday afternoon following his fifth and the last namaz-e-janaza after Jumma prayers.
‘His body was kept at PHA field of the Gonoshasthaya Kendra at Savar from 10:00am to 12:45pm on Friday where people from all walks of life paid their last tribute to him. He was buried following his fifth and final namaz-e-janaza after Jumma prayers at about 3:00pm,’ Gonoshasthaya Kendra press adviser Jahangir Alam Mintu said.
He said that his body was taken to Savar on Thursday afternoon and was kept in the refrigerator vehicle.
State minister for disaster management and relief Md Enamur Rahman, former interim-government adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman and Zafrullah Chowdhury’s family members, among others, were also present to say good bye to the freedom fighter and activist.
On Thursday, leaders and activists of different political parties, different organisations, cultural activists, and dignified personalities paid their tributes to Zafrullah Chowdhury at Central Shaheed Minar, where his body was kept from 10:00am to 1:00pm.
On behalf of the deputy commissioner of Dhaka district, additional district magistrate AKM Hedaitul Islam and a team of police gave a guard of honour to freedom fighter Zafrullah.
A forerunner in the health sector, physician Zafrullah passed away on Tuesday night at the age of 82.
No Awami League leaders, except planning minister MA Mannan, visited the Central Shaheed Minar to show respect to Zafrullah.
Ganatanra Mancha, a coalition of seven political parties, Left Democratic Alliance, a coalition of six political parties, Workers Party, led by its president Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Party, led by presidium member Jahirul Islam, Ganosamhati Andolan, led by its chef coordinator Zonayed Saki, and Bhashani Onusari Parishad, led by its convener Sheikh Rafiqul Islam, paid tribute to Zafrullah by placing wreaths on his coffin.
His family members, including his wife Shireen Huq and children, were present at the programme.
Top leaders of the Revolutionary Workers Party, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Gono Forum faction, Jatiya Samajtatnrik Dal, and Jatiya Mukti Council also paid respect to Zafrullah by placing wreaths.
Besides, Dhaka University vice-chancellor Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman, Dhaka University professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, New Age publisher ASM Shahidullah Khan and editor Nurul Kabir, physician Naila Khan, cultural activist Ramendu Majumder, among others, also paid their respects by placing wreaths.
Four namaz-e-janaza of Zafrullah were held in Dhaka, including one in the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan at about 2:30pm on Thursday. Hundreds of people participated in the namaz-e-janaza.
Zafrullah’s son Bareesh Hasan Chowdhury said during a short speech before the prayer that family members had agreed to keep the verbal wish of his father to donate his body to any medical college.
‘We have contacted both Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he was a student, and Gonoshasthaya Samajvittik Medical College, which he had established. But both denied receiving the body, as neither of them dared to knife the body of Zafrullah Chowdhury out of respect,’ said Bareesh.
Family members later decided to bury him at Savar Gonoshasthaya Kendra, where he started his fight to ensure health rights for mass people after the War of Independence in 1971.
Zafrullah’s first namaz-e-janaza was held at his Dhanmondi residence, and another namaz-e-janaza was held on the premises of Dhaka Medical College. Thursday’s last namaz-e-janaza was held at Gonoshasthaya Kendra Nagar Hospital in the afternoon.
