Dr Zafrullah’s body taken to Shaheed Minar

The body of valiant Freedom Fighter and founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury was taken to Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Thursday morning enabling people to pay their last respect to the public health expert. 

His body was brought there by a freezing van after 10am and will be kept till 1pm. From there, his body will be taken to Suhrawardy Udyan where his first Namaz-e-Janaza will be held at 2:30pm. The second Janaza will be held at Gonoshasthaya Kendra in Savar on Friday after Jumma prayers.

Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury died at Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital at Dhanmondi in the capital on Tuesday night. He was 81.

He was born at Raozan upazila in Chattogram district on December 27, 1941.

He passed matriculation from Nabakumar Institution in the capital’s Bakshibazar and intermediate exams from Dhaka College. He completed MBBS from Dhaka Medical College in 1964 and went to London to study FRCS. 

When the four-year FRCS course was about to be completed, the Liberation War broke out in Bangladesh. He chose to abort the exams and dedicated himself in mobilising the people for the independence of the nation.

Dr Jafrullah was known more for his work in formulating the Bangladesh National Drug Policy in 1982. His work in population control earned him the inaugural Independence Day Award in 1977. 

Among other awards, he was given Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1985 and the Right Livelihood Award in 1992 for his work in the public health sector.