Syed Ashraf’s first namaz-e-janaza held

The first namaz-e-janaza of eminent Awami League (AL) leader Syed Ashraful Islam was held at the South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday. 

President Abdul Hamid, cabinet members, AL leaders and people from all strata of life took part in his janaza. 

The body will later be taken by a helicopter to Kishoreganj, from where he was elected Member of Parliament for five times.

His second namaz-e-janaza will be held at historic Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in the district town at 12noon. His third namaz-e-janaza will be held at Mymensingh Anjuman Eidgah ground at 2pm.

Syed Ashraf, public administration minister and AL presidium member and former general secretary, will be laid to eternal rest at Banani graveyard here at 4.30pm today.

His body arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 5.55pm on Saturday by a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

A delegation of Awami League led by its General Secretary Obaidul Quader received the body at the airport. Senior party leaders including Tofail Ahmed, Begum Matia Chowdhury, Mohammed Nasim and Dr Abdur Razzak paid tribute to him and offered a munajat for peace of the departed soul.

The body of the veteran AL leader was then taken to his official residence on Bailey road. Relatives and well-wishers, party leaders and workers, officials and employees of the Public Administration Ministry thronged his residence to have last glimpse of their loving leader.

The body was later kept at the mortuary of the CMH.

He died at the Bangkok hospital at the age of 68 after undergoing treatment for lung cancer for long. He is survived by a daughter. His wife Sheila Islam died in London in 2017.

Syed Ashraf was born in Mymensingh in 1952. His father Syed Nazrul Islam was acting President of Mujibnagar Government in 1971 and one of the key figures of Bangladesh independence struggle.