Khoka’s janaza held on parliament premises

The namaz-e-Janaza of former mayor of undivided Dhaka City Corporation and BNP vice-chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka was held at the South Plaza of National Parliament on Thursday.

Current and former MPs, leaders of different political parties and the people from all walks of life took part in the janaza held around 11:15am.

From the parliament compound, Khoka’s body is being taken to Central Shaheed Minar and it will be lying there in state from 12pm-1pm so that people can pay their last respect to the valiant freedom fighter.

Earlier, his body was taken back home from the USA. A flight of Emirates Airline carrying his body landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 8:28am.

The family members of the BNP leader, including his wife Ismat Ara, also returned home in the same flight.

BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku received the body at the airport on behalf of the party.

Khoka, a valiant freedom fighter, who had long been suffering from cancer, died at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York on Monday.

His first Namaz-e-Janaza was held at Jamaica Muslim Center, New York on Monday night. A large number of expatriate Bangladeshis participated in it.

As per his last wish, the BNP leader is scheduled to be buried at Jurain Graveyard beside the grave of his mother in the evening.

Before the burial, more janazas – one in front of BNP central office after Zohr prayers, another at Nagar Bhaban at 3pm and yet another at Dhupkhola field after Asr prayers – will be held in the capital.

After his Janza at Nagar Bhaban, Khoka’s body will be taken to his Gopibagh residence.

Khoka, also a former minister and MP, is survived by his wife Ismat Ara, daughter Sarika Sadeque, sons Ishraque and Isfaque Hossain.

He went to the USA in 2014 for treatment.