Staff Reporter :Arafat Rahman Koko, the younger son of late president Ziaur Rahman and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, was laid to rest at Banani Civil Graveyard in the city on Tuesday evening. Before the burial, his second Namaz-e-Janaza was held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Asr prayers. Khatib of the National Mosque Prof Maulana Mohammad Salahuddin conducted the Janaza at 5.13 pm.Prior to the Janaza, Khaleda Zia’s younger brother Shameem Iskander urged the people to pardon Koko if he would have hurt any of them. He also asked them to communicate with the family later if they have any financial or any other pending dealings with Koko. He also sought prayer to all for the salvation of the departed soul of his niece. Thousands of people from all walks of life, including politicians, professionals and noted persons, joined the Namaz-e-Janaza that sneaked out from Paltan Crossing to Janata Bank head office on one side and the Paltan Crossing to GPO intersection to Gulistan Cinema Hall on the other. Apart from the BNP, senior leaders of 20-party alliance attended the Janaza. After the Janaza, the body was kept on the mosque’s south plaza side enabling people to pay their last respects to Koko. Later, the body was taken to Banani Civil Graveyard for the burial.A huge number of law enforcers were deployed in Paltan and its adjacent areas to ensure security. Security measures were also taken at the Banani Graveyard area. Koko died in Malaysia on Saturday at the age of 45. His first Namaz-e-Janaza was held on Sunday after Zohr prayers at Masjid-e-Negera in Kuala Lumpur, the National Mosque of Malaysia. After the Janaza, the body was kept again at the mortuary of Malaya University Hospital. Koko’s body was brought home in the morning. Shameem Iskander, Koko’s wife and two daughters also accompanied the body. A five-man delegation of the BNP received the body at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Later, the motorcade of Koko’s body left the airport for BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office. Khaleda Zia along with relatives, family members, close-aides and party leaders waited at the office to pay their last tribute to Koko and to have the last glimpse.Carrying Koko’s body the ambulance entered the compound of the Gulshan office at 1:40 pm. As soon as the body was taken to the first floor of the office at 1:55pm, Khaleda Zia got down and mourned over her son’s coffin for around half an hour. The BNP Chief got dumbfounded for a moment and then burst into tears seeing the body of her son. She met her younger son alive last in Bangkok in June 2013 during her visit to the United States.Besides, since morning hundreds of BNP leaders and workers started gathering around the Gulshan office where the air was thick with grief and cries of wailing. Apart from the leaders and workers of BNP, in the afternoon hundreds of people queued to enter the BNP party office. But they could not enter due to the restriction.Earlier, seeking permission an application was submitted to Military Cantonment Board to bury Koko’s body at Banani Army Graveyard. But the army authority did not allow to bury the body there. Later, family members and relatives decided to bury Koko at the civil graveyard.Koko had been living at a rented house in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on parole for several years. He left behind his mother Begum Khaleda Zia, wife Sharmila Rahman and two daughters — Zahia Rahman and Zaifa Rahman, elder brother Tarique Rahman and a host of relatives to mourn his death.
