Sea of mourners pays tributes to writer of hearts; burial today
It was a sweltering day and traffic jam was no less troubling. But nothing could prevent thousands of people from flocking to the Central Shaheed Minar yesterday.
Irrespective of caste and creed, religion and political parties, people with flowers, many of them in tears, gathered there well ahead of schedule in the morning.
A number of youths were in yellow punjabis or T-shirts, resembling the fictional character Himu.
But Humayun Ahmed, creator of Himu and also Misir Ali, Shuvro and Baker Bhai, was far away from all this, lying in a coffin on an Emirates flight.
After the aircraft landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 8:55am, the coffin was taken straight to the Shaheed Minar at 10:25am.
Thousands of fans, colleagues, relatives, political leaders, top government officials and well-wishers paid their last tributes to the legendary writer.
On behalf of President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, President’s Military Secretary Major General Kazi Fakhruddin Ahmed and PM’s Special Assistant (Media) Mahbubul Haque Shakil and Assistant Personal Secretary Saifuzzaman Shikhor placed wreaths on the coffin around 10:20am.
Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Finance Minister AMA Muhit, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Food Minister Abdur Razzaque, rights activist Sultana Kamal, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam, among several dozen eminent persons, bade farewell to the bestseller author of numerous Bangla novels.
Humayun’s mother Ayesha Faiz, son and daughters with first wife — Sheela, Nova and Nuhash, second wife Meher Afroz Shaon, brothers Zafar Iqbal and Ahsan Habib, Zafar’s wife Yasmeen Haque and two sisters stood by the coffin.
Finance Minister Muhith said Humayun’s creation was rare in Bangladesh. The writer had also contributed to politics.
Sammilito Sangskritik Jote President Nasiruddin Yousuff Bachchu said, “Today’s presence proves how a writer can unite a nation. He is a symbol of unity. He penned the joys and sorrows of people. A new generation has been created through his books.”
The nation has lost Humayun Ahmed’s body, but not the spirit. His works will inspire people to love the country and human beings, he added.
Asif Munna, a young scriptwriter, may be representative of the generation Bachchu was talking about.
“The creation of Humayun Ahmed was a combination of science and literature. I cannot but come to see and pay respects for the last time,” he said, standing in a long queue stretching up to Shahbagh.
At 2:00pm, the body was taken to the National Eidgah Maidan.
Minutes before the second namaz-e-janaza there, Humayun Ahmed’s son Nuhash Humayun asked everyone present to be forgiving if his father had hurt anybody.
“Anybody to whom my father owes anything is requested to contact me or my uncle Mohammad Zafar Iqbal,” said Nuhash in his first ever public statement after the death of the writer. He too was in a yellow punjabi.
Prof Maulana Muhammad Salahuddin, khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, administrated the janaza attended by ministers, top government officials, academics, jurists, litterateurs and politicians and citizens across the spectrum.
After the janaza, Humayun’s son Nuhash and father-in-law Motahar accompanied the coffin to Birdem mortuary around 3:00pm.
His first janaza was held at Jamaica Muslim Center on Friday.
Humayun, who was also an award winning filmmaker, died at Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital in New York on Thursday night after a nine-month struggle with colon cancer.
Shaon, Humayun Ahmed’s two sons with her Nishad and Ninith, mother-in-law Tahura Ali, sister-in-law Senjuti Afroz and friend Mazharul Islam came with the coffin aboard the flight from the US yesterday.
Zafar Iqbal, Ahsan Habib, Nuhash, Sheela and Nova and a host of relatives received the body at the airport.
Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, LGED State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes, and leaders of the Sammilito Sangskritik Jote were also present there.
On arrival at the airport, Shaon told reporters about Humayun’s “wish” to be buried at Nuhash Palli. “A day before the operation, he [Humayun] told me, ‘If something unexpected happens to me, please keep me at Nuhash Palli’.”
Foreseeing that a tug of war would begin over his burial, Humayun asked her to lay him down at the Palli, she said. “He had told me, ‘I don’t like Banani Graveyard or Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard. I get frightened in unknown places’.”
“He loved Nuhash Palli more than his life. He loved all the trees equally as his children,” she added.
However, Nova, Sheela and Nuhash told reporters at the Mirpur residence of Ayesha Faiz yesterday evening that their father should be laid to rest in a place where everybody can visit and offer prayers.
“My father had repeatedly said Nuhash Palli should not turn into a graveyard,” Nova said.
In the presence of Zafar Iqbal and his wife Yasmeen Haque, the trio sought the cooperation of all for a smooth completion of the burial, reports Bangla daily Prothom Alo.
Talking to journalists, Yasmeen Haque said, “As a situation has arisen, the children have decided to take a stance.”
Asked about the burial place, Zafar Iqbal said, “Wait, you will be informed in time.”
Later at night, Zafar Iqbal, Nasiruddin Yousuff Bachchu, media personalities Shaikh Siraj and Faridur Reza Sagar went to Humayun’s Dhanmondi residence Dakhin Hawa to talk with Meher Afroz Shaon about the burial site selection.
They went to Shaon after discussing the issue with State Minister for Local Government Jahangir Kabir Nanok.
No decision came as of 1:00am today.
-With The Daily Star input
