Army denies permission to bury Koko at its Banani graveyard
Bangladesh Army today denied permission to bury Arafat Rahman Koko, younger son of former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, at its Banani graveyard in Dhaka.
The family is now planning for burial of Koko, who died of cardiac arrest in Kuala Lumpur three days ago, somewhere else but is yet to disclose the place.
Earlier at 11:50am, Koko’s body was brought back at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
“Since the army did not give us permission, we will change the burial site of Koko,” Maj Gen (retd) Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, chairman of Kallyan Party and a leader of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, said at a press conference at the airport.
“Koko is the son of a former army chief and president. He had all requirements fulfilled for allotment of space in the army’s Banani graveyard,” he said, terming denial of permission “sad”.
Maj Gen Fazle Elahi Akbor, defense affairs adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, was present by the side of the 20-party leader during the press conference.
The reason behind the denial could not be known immediately, but the army graveyard regulations say that the children of a former army officer are entitled to be buried there.
Meanwhile, BNP claimed that they handed an application to the Dhaka Cantonment Board authorities on Monday seeking permission for Koko’s burial at the Banani army graveyard.
ARRIVAL OF KOKO’S BODY
The Malaysian Airlines flight, which bore the body of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s younger son Koko, that departed Kuala Lumpur around 9:30am local time, landed Dhaka at 11:50am.
Koko’s uncle and Khaleda’s younger brother Shameem Iskander brought the body back. Koko’s wife and two daughters are also accompanying the body.
A five-man delegation of the BNP – its standing committee members Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman, and central leaders Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury and Kamal Ibne Yousuf – received the body at the airport.
The body was brought out the hangar gate 8 around 12:18pm and taken to BNP chief Khaleda’s Gulshan office amidst a crowd of party leaders, activists and supporters.
GAYEBANA JANAZAS HELD
Namajz-e-janazas of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s younger son Arafat Rahman Koko were held at several places throughout the country except Dhaka.
The janazas began simultaneously at 10:30am as per a pre-scheduled programme of the BNP amidst a countrywide nonstop blockade of the 20-party alliance that entered 22nd day today.
Syrul Kabir Khan, a staff of BNP chief’s media wing, told The Daily Star the janazas were held in impulsive participation of leaders, activists and supporters of the party through Gazipur, Kaliakoir, Tangail, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and several other places.
Koko, who had been living in Malaysia on parole, died of heart failure at Kuala Lumpur around 1:30pm Saturday. He complained of chest pain around noon and died at his rented house there.
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