Staff Reporter :
Former Mayor of undivided Dhaka City Corporation and BNP Vice-Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka, passed away at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York on Monday.
Sadeque Hossain Khoka, 67, also a valiant freedom fighter, breathed his last around 1:50pm (Bangladesh time)
A former minister, Khoka had gone to the US in May, 2014 for treatment.
He is survived by his wife Ismat Ara, two sons Ishraque Hossain and Ishfaque Hossain, and a daughter Sarika Sadeque.
Shairul Kabir Khan, a member of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s press wing, confirmed the news of the veteran party leader’s death to The New Nation yesterday.
Khoka’s son Ishraque Hossaain said on his Facebook page, “On 4th November, 2019, my father former Mayor of Dhaka Sadeque Hossain Khoka passed away at New York time 2:50am and Bangladesh time 1:50pm. I will announce further information on behalf of my family.”
“BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will decide on the party’s attempt to bring the body back, once he returns from Jeshore.”
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in separate statements, have condoled the death of Khoka and extended their sympathies to the members of the bereaved family.
The minister has expressed his deep condolences over the demise of the 67-year-old Khoka, a former Dhaka mayor. “I’m deeply saddened by his death, and pray for the eternal peace of the departed soul.”
Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud and who is also Awami League Publicity and Publication Secretary, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon have expressed their deep condolences at the demise of the 67-year-old politician and a former Dhaka mayor. They deeply shocked by Khoka’s death, and pray for eternal peace of the departed soul.
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader also expressed his deep shock at the death of former Dhaka mayor.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Huq Inu, in a message, also expressed condolence at the death of the former DCC Mayor.
Paying rich tributes to Khoka, National Awami Party (NAP) Chairman Jevel Rahman Gani and Secretary General M Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan and different other party’s leaders said that the nation will respectfully remember his contributions to all democratic movements of the country.
Khoka stepped into politics through joining Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani’s National Awami Party (NAP).
Later, he joined BNP and was made party’s Dhaka Metropolitan unit president.
Khoka was first elected MP in 1991 from Sutrapur-Kotwali seat and was subsequently made State Minister for Youth and Sports. He was elected MP from the same seat in 2001 and given the charge of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
Later, he contested Dhaka City Corporation election in 2002 and was elected mayor. He held the post for nearly nine years.
He was arrested days before the January 5 national election in 2014. Released on bail from jail, he was admitted to BIRDEM Hospital in the capital, but doctors could not exactly detect his health problem.
Later, he went to the US on May 14, 2014, and had been receiving treatment there since then.
