Zillur Rahman laid to rest

Thousands attend the namaz-e-janaza of late president Zillur Rahman at Jatiya Eidgah Maidan in the capital on Friday afternoon. Photo: Rashed Sumon

Late president Zillur Rahman was buried with full state honour at Banani graveyard in the capital Friday afternoon.

Rahman was laid to eternal rest at the grave of his wife Ivy Rahman at 3:53pm.

Born on March 9, 1929 in Kishoreganj, Zillur Rahman died at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on Wednesday afternoon.

People from all walks of life including ministers, lawmakers, political leaders, members of three services, foreign guests stood in solemn silence for two minutes at 3:48pm at the graveyard to show last respect to Rahman.

Army guards accorded a gun salute by firing shots in the air three times in tribute to the late president.

Acting President and Speaker of the House Abdul Hamid placed a floral wreath at the grave following other dignitaries.

After 2nd namaz-e-janaza at 2:32pm on Friday, a flower-decorated jeep carrying Zillur's coffin draped in a national flag, along with a motorcade stopped for minutes at his Gulshan residence for the last time.

Army officials carry the coffin of late president Zillur Rahman at  Jatiya Eidgah Maidan in the capital on Friday afternoon. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

From there, the body of Rahman was taken to the graveyard.

Earlier, hundreds of thousands of people took part in the second janaza which was conducted after the Juma prayers amid tight security at the High Court premises.

Late president Zillur Rahman given state honour at the grave site at Banani in the capital on Friday afternoon. Photo: Palash Khan

Prior to that, the body of the late president was taken to Bangabhaban where envoys of different countries, representing their heads of state and heads of government, and other diplomats paid tributes to the president around 12:30pm.

Earlier in the morning, first namaz-e-janaza of Rahman was held at Haji Asmat College ground in Bhairab of Kishoreganj.

Several thousand people took part in the janaza at 10:10am praying for the departed soul of the president.

The body of Rahman was taken to Bhairab from Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka by a helicopter at about 10:00am.

Nazmul Hasan Papon, son of late president Zillur Rahman, burst into tears while delivering speech at Jatiya Eidgah Maidan in the capital Friday afternoon. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Members of police offered a guard of honour after the janaza.

People from all walks of life including ministers, advisers, army officers, paid tributes to the president by placing wreaths on the coffin which was placed at the college field.

On Thursday noon, the body of the 84-year-old politician arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in a special Bangladesh Biman flight, a day after he died in Singapore.

The government has declared a three-day mourning beginning Thursday.

The main opposition BNP is also observing a three-day mourning that also began the same day.

The president was admitted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital on March 10 with critical lung infections.

Zillur took office as the 19th president of Bangladesh on 12 February 2009, after being elected unopposed.

The qulkhawani of late president Zillur Rahman will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Saturday.

“The qulkhawani will be held after Asr prayers on Saturday,” president’s press secretary AKM Nesar Uddin Bhuiyan told The Daily Star on Friday.