State Minister Sheikh Md Abdullah laid to rest

State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Md Abdullah was laid to rest at his family graveyard in Gopalganj this afternoon.

The valiant freedom fighter, who died after a cardiac arrest around 11:00pm last night on the way to Combined Military Hospital, was diagnosed with Covid-19 today, Nurul Islam, secretary at the ministry, told The Daily Star. He was 75.

"After his namaz-e-janaza at Sultan Shahi Madrasha field, he was buried at his village home of Kekania in Gopalganj with several hundred people attending while maintaining social distancing to contain the risk of spreading Covid-19," Nazmul Haque Saikat, assistant personal secretary of the state minister, told The Daily Star.

Born on September 8, 1945, in Kekania village on the banks of the Madhumati river in Gopalganj, Abdullah left behind his two wives, 11 children, a host of relatives, well-wishers and friends.

Every time Sheikh Hasina was elected Member of Parliament from Gopalganj-03 (Tungipara-Kotalipara), Abdullah worked as her chief polls agent.

After the formation of the current government last year, he was made the state minister for the religious affairs ministry.

He got engaged in politics when he was a student. He was motivated by the ideologies of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He was actively involved in the Mass Upsurge Movement of 1969 and joined the Liberation War in 1971.

Abdullah was also Awami League's religious affairs secretary.