Burial today
Tens of thousands of people flocked to the Central Shaheed Minar yesterday to bid farewell to Abdur Razzak, one of the organisers of the Liberation War, hours after his body was flown back home from London.
The veteran Awami League leader breathed his last in a London hospital on Friday, drawing to a close his five-decade illustrious career in politics.
Leaders of the Awami League and other political parties received his coffin, draped in the national flag, after a Bangladesh Biman aircraft carrying it touched down at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 12:20pm.
Senior AL leaders paid tribute to Razzak by placing wreaths on his coffin. Many were seen struggling to hold back tears.
Hundreds of his admirers, friends and well-wishers waited outside the airport terminal for hours to bid farewell to the freedom fighter.
Razzak, who wished to be laid to rest at Banani graveyard in the capital, will be buried with due state honours at 4:00pm today.
Razzak’s body was taken to his Gulshan residence from the airport. President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid their respects to him by placing wreaths on his coffin.
Hasina and Zillur stood beside his coffin for a couple of minutes. Hasina later talked to his bereaved family members and consoled them.
“Awami League will never get an organiser like Razzak Bhai,” said senior AL leader Tofail Ahmed, one of Razzak’s close friends, while trying to swallow back tears.
Razzak’s body was taken to the Central Shaheed Minar at about 4:20pm after namaz-e-janaza was held twice for him. Noted politicians, teachers, cultural activists, journalists and common people paid homage to Razzak at the Shaheed Minar premises.
“People loved him [Razzak] as he loved the country and the people,” said senior AL leader Abdul Jalil.
Razzak’s namaz-e-janaza was held at South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 3:00pm. Speaker Abdul Hamid and Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali along with ministers and lawmakers attended the janaza.
His second namaz-e-janaza was held at the Jatiya Eidgah Maidan at about 3:30pm. Senior leaders of the AL and the opposition together with representatives of different socio-cultural organisations attended the janaza.
Razzak’s coffin was taken to the central AL office on Bangabandhu Avenue where a floral tribute was paid to him at about 6:30pm.
“He [Razzak] practised the politics of ideals which is rare in Bangladesh. His death has created a void in the country’s politics and we can feel it,” said Communications Minister Obaidul Quader, also an AL presidium member.
“Razzak’s contribution to the country’s politics can hardly be overstated,” said BNP leader Abdullah Al Noman, who went to the Shaheed Minar to pay respects to Razzak.
Razzak’s body, kept at the Birdem hospital mortuary in the capital, will be taken to his village home at Damuday in Shariatpur by helicopter at 10:00am today. It will be then brought back to Dhaka after a namaz-e-janaza.
Razzak’s colleagues and senior AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Abdul Jalil, Suranjit Sengupta, Obaidul Quader, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Faruk Khan, and Sahara Khatun, among others, received his coffin at the airport.
BNP leaders Amanullah Aman, Khairul Kabir Khokan and Sadeque Hossain Khoka also paid tribute to Razzak at the Shaheed Minar.
Meanwhile, acting AL General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif expressed profound shock at Razzak’s death.
Razzak had been receiving treatment for liver and kidney complications at King’s College Hospital in London, where he died on Friday.
-With The Daily Star input
