Syed Ashraf’s body to arrive today
The body of former Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam will reach Dhaka today at 5:30pm by a Bangladesh Biman flight, party sources said.
Syed Ashraf, also public administration minster, died on Thursday while undergoing treatment at Bamungrad Hospital in Bangkok of Thailand at about 9:30pm Bangladesh Time at the age of 67. Ashraf’s assistant personal secretary Sazzad Hossain Shahin told New Age that Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader will receive his body after its arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Later, his body will be taken to his Baily Road government residence, where it will be kept for sometimes, he said.
The body will then be taken to the Combined Military Hospital mortuary, he said.
The first Namaz-e Janaza of the veteran politician will be held at South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 10:30am on Sunday, he said.
The body will be taken to Kishoreganj on the same day where his second Namaz-e Janaza will be held at Kishoreganj Old Stadium at 12:00 noon.
The third Janaja will be held at Anjuman Eidgah Maidan, Mymensingh and he will be buried at the Banani Graveyard after asar prayer on Sunday.
Ashraf was elected lawmaker from Kishoreganj-1 for five times, including the latest 11th parliament election, held on December 30, 2018.
Ashraf left a daughter and host of well-wishers to mourn his death.
Ashraf, son of the 1971 Mujibnagar government’s first acting president and key Liberation War organiser Syed Nazrul Islam, was born in 1952 in Mymensingh.
He was active in student politics from his student life as he became the general secretary of Mymensingh district unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student front of AL, after independence and later served as an assistant publicity secretary of central BCL.
After the killing of his father Syed Nazrul Islam along with three other high profile national leaders in Dhaka Central Jail on November 03, 1975, he went to London and worked to organise Bangladesh Awami League in UK.
He came back home in 1996 and was elected as lawmaker from Kishoreganj-1.
He served as the state minister for civil aviation and tourism ministry between 1996 and 2001.
In 2008, he was elected as lawmaker again and appointed as the minister for LGRD and cooperatives ministry.
He took over the charge as a minister of the public administration ministry on July 16, 2015.
Ashraf was elected AL’s joint general secretary in 2002 and general secretary twice in 2009 and 2012. He held the position until October 2016. He was later made the presidium member of Awami League.
Different political parties and organisations in the condolence messages expressed deep shock at the death of Syed Ashraf.
Gono Forum president Dr. Kamal Hossain, general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu, Communist Party of Bangladesh president Mujahidul Islam Selim, general secretary Mohammd Shah Alam, Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon, general secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha, Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, Bangabandhu Peshajibi Kalyan Parishad, Bangladesh Nurses Association, Bangladesh Mobile Phone Recharge Merchant Assertion and Bangladesh Juba Moitri leaders among others expressed shock at the death of the Awami League leader.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net