Rahmatullah bids an untimely bye
Khaza Rahmatullah, a former national hockey player, died of cardiac arrest yesterday afternoon. He was 55. He complained of chest pain at his Narayanganj residence and was rushed to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka, where the attending doctors declared him dead.
His sudden and tragic demise only a couple of days after complying to the requests of reporters for an interview, standing on his beloved green top at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium during the Asia Cup, stunned the hockey fraternity into silence.
He left behind his wife, three brothers, three sisters, mother and many well-wishers.
After hearing the sad news, all known faces in the hockey fraternity and current national hockey players rushed to the BSMMU to pay homage to one of the finest players.
Rahmatulla, who was serving as vice-president of the federation, actually had a test in the morning at the BSMMU.
“Today [Tuesday] he went through an ECHO test at BSMMU and returned home with a good result but he suddenly complained about pain in his chest and the family members then brought him to BSMMU again but he expired on way,” said Dr. Sheikh Abdullah Al Mamun, registrar of BSMMU and brother-in-law of Rahmatullah.
Rahmatullah started his hockey career for Shadharan Bima in 1978 and then joined Mohammedan in 1985 before switching to Abahani where he captained the Sky Blues till 1995. He represented Bangladesh from 1986 and called time on his career after the 1989 Asia Cup. A Dhaka University blue, he was named in the All Asia Eleven in 1987 but did not join the squad.
Rahmatullah had a busy time during the Hero Asia Cup hockey tournament and was one of general secretary candidates of the postponed BHF polls. During his regime as the BHF general secretary, Rahmatullah had also not received support from a few clubs and subsequently resigned from the post to become vice president.
His aggrieved relatives blame his sudden demise as a sequel of nasty politics in the hockey federation, a few were even heard saying not to take his body to the federation for last respects.
His first namaz-e-janaja will be held at the Abahani Club in Dhanmondi at 10:00am before his second namaz-e-janaja at the Dehorbhog Akhra mosque in Narayanganj. He will be buried at the Paikpara graveyard, informed Khaza Ahsanullah, elder brother of Rahmatullah.
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