Khaleda attends son's chehlum

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday attended a special prayer and milad mahfil to observe chehlum of Arafat Rahman Koko at her Gulshan office in the capital.

Surrounded by her relatives, Khaleda prayed for the salvation of her son's departed soul with tears rolling down her cheeks, members of the BNP chief's media wing said.

They joined the prayers from Khaleda's office room on the first floor.

Koko, 42, died of heart failure at his rented house in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia on January 24. He along with his wife and two daughters had been living there since 2008.

Widow of Koko and her two daughters came to Dhaka on January 27 to attend his funeral.

On February 2, his wife returned to Kuala Lumpur as their daughters were continuing their studies at an internationally reputed school there.

One relative of Koko was present in the chehlum, said a member of the media wing yesterday.

No leaders and activists of BNP or its front organisations were seen trying to gather in front of Khaleda's office to attend the chehlum due to fear of police harassment and arrest.

Eminent jurist Rafique-ul Huq and expelled BNP leader Maj (retd) Akhtaruzzaman were the only persons outside the party who participated in the chehlum.

They separately called on the BNP chief at her office room.

Police and special branch officials allowed 16 students and teachers of two madrasas to attend the chehlum after noting down details of their addresses and recording their video images.

Around 60 people, including four BNP leaders who have been staying inside Khaleda's office since January 3, also attended the chehlum.

The programme began at the ground floor of the office around 11:30am with recitation from the Holy Quran and ended after Asr prayers.

Mufti MM Ashraful Islam, a teacher of Mohammadpur Madrasa, conducted the munajat.

Later, foods (tehari) were distributed among the participants and people available outside the office.