Central Shaheed Minar area has turned into a human sea as thousands of people including the leaders and activists of different political, social and cultural organisations thronged there Sunday afternoon to pay their last respects to Liberation War hero Abdur Razzak.
The body of the veteran Awami League leader was taken to the Shaheed Minar around 4:30pm after his second namaz-e-janaza at Jatiya Eidgah Maidan in the city.
His first janaza was held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban earlier in the afternoon.
A smartly turned out contingent drawn from three services of the armed forces gave him a guard of honour following his janaza.
Earlier, a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying his body from the United Kingdom touched the runway of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12:30pm Sunday, Awami League Central Working Committee Member Sujit Roy Nandi told The Daily Star.
His family members including his wife Farida Razzak and son Nahin Razzak were with the body.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Faruk Khan, senior Awami League leaders - Amir Hossain Amu, Abdul Jalil, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta and Sheikh Fajlul Karim Selim -- as well as the leaders of the 14-party grand alliance including Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Haque Inu -- among others received Razzak's body at the airport.
An ambulance carrying his body drove straight to his Gulshan residence from the airport.
President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid their last tributes to the veteran leader at his residence.
The president placed wreaths on Razzak's coffin, offered prayers and also talked to the bereaved family members.
The premier also placed a floral wreath on the coffin of Razzak and stood in solemn silence for some time beside it as a mark of respect to the late leader.
Hasina talked to Razzak's wife and other relatives and consoled them.
She also prayed to the Almighty for the eternal peace of the departed soul.
Razzak, a key organiser of the Liberation War of Bangladesh and also a member of the ruling Awami League advisory council, breathed his last at a London hospital Friday, ending his around 50-year long illustrious political career. He was 69.
Razzak, who was considered “living history” of the birth of Bangladesh, was suffering from kidney and liver ailments and had been undergoing treatment at King's College Hospital in London since September.
His body will be taken to his village home at Damuday in Shariatpur by helicopter at 10:00am Monday and then flown back to Dhaka after a third namaj-e-janaza at Damuday.
The leader will be laid to eternal rest at the Banani Graveyard in the capital at 4:00pm Monday.
Meanwhile, the Awami League has taken up a two-day programme starting from Sunday, expressing shock at Razzak's demise and paying rich tribute to the popular politician.
As part of the programme, the leaders and workers of the party will wear a black badge in mourning for two days while the party flag will be kept at half-mast and black flags will be hoisted at its offices across the country.
