Abed laid to rest
BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, who died at Apollo Hospitals in the capital on Friday evening, was laid to rest at Banani graveyard in Dhaka Sunday afternoon.
He was buried at about 2:30pm following three namaz-e-janazas at BRAC head office, at Army Stadium and at the graveyard.
His body was taken to BRAC head office at Mahakhali at 7:00am where his relatives and colleagues paid respect to him and participated in his first namaz-e janaza at about 9:45am.
His body was then taken to the Army Stadium at about 10:30am where thousands of people from all walks of life paid their last tributes before his second namaz-e-janaza at 12:30pm.
The president’s military secretary’s private secretary Major Ashiqur Rahman and the prime minister’s deputy military secretary Colonel Md Saif Ullah PSC placed wreaths at the coffin on behalf of the head of the state and head of the government respectively.
Related Coverage:
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and deputy speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah then paid their tributes followed by the chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda.
Bangladesh Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasad general secretary Shirin Akhter, Jatiya Party lawmaker Anisul Islam Mahmud, Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki led the teams of their party leaders while placing wreaths on behalf of their respective political parties.
Gono Forum president Kamal Hossain, senior Awami League leaders Tofail Ahmed and Enam Ahmed Chowdhury, former advisers to caretaker government Akbar Ali Khan and AB Mirza Azizul Islam, former finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, ambassadors of Spain and the USA, and officers of International Rice Research Institute, UNDP, UNICEF and UN Bangladesh also paid their tributes to Fazle Hasan Abed.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury, Gono Shakkhorota Ovijan chairperson Rasheda K Chowdhury, Ain O Salish Kendra executive director Sheepa Hafiza, Citizens for Good Governance secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, PRIP Trust executive director Aroma Dutta and officials of UCEP Bangladesh, CARE, Proshika, TMSS, Safer World, Dustho Shasthya Kendra, BURO Bangladesh, Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh, CDF, ActionAid Bangladesh, Oxfam, ALRD, VARC, Maya website, ASA, Ubinig and Nari Grantha Prabartana, Concern Worldwide, Shakti Foundation, Bastab and Grameen Phone paid homage to the BRAC founder.
New Age editorial board chairman ASM Shahidullah Khan, Dainik Sangbad editor Altamash Kabir and Channel I director Shykh Seraj also placed wreaths at his coffin.
Abul Khair Litu on behalf of Gyantaposh Abdur Razzaq Foundation, Luva Nahid Chowdhury on behalf of Bengal Foundation, eminent painters Monirul Islam and Hashem Khan, eminent photographer and founder of Drik Shahidul Alam, BRAC University pro-vice-chancellor Mohammad Tamim, BRAC Bank chairman Ahsan H Monsur, and representatives of Liberation War Museum, Bangmoy, Bangladesh Sthapati Institute, BRAC Net, IPDC, Guardian Life Insurance, Bkash and Baniachang Aysha Abed Foundation also paid their respect.
After placing wreaths, Noble laureate and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Younus said, ‘He was the kind of person who was not an expert but still went on to do incredible work from sheer willpower. There is a great lesson there for the younger generation. I would implore the youth of today to take these lessons and learn to stand tall through the trials of life.’
National Professor Anisuzzaman remembered his friendship with Fazle Abed since 1972 and said, ‘Every work that he took on, he made sure to complete it with beautiful perfection.’
US ambassador Earl R Miller said, ‘He helped raise people out of poverty, inspired and improved the lives of millions of people not in Bangladesh only, but around the world.’
National Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury said, ‘There is a saying “small is beautiful”. He would add to it: “But large is essential.” Remaining small isn’t enough expansion is needed. He applied this model everywhere.’
His second namaz-e-janaza was held at the stadium at 12:30pm.
Fazle Hasan Abed’s son Shameran Abed thanked all those came to the Army Stadium, expressed shocks and mourned the death of Fazle Abed. He sought blessings for his father.
His body was then taken to Banani Graveyard where he was buried at about 2:30pm after his third and last namaz-e-janaza.
A book of condolence in memory of Fazle Hasan Abed was opened at 2:00pm on Sunday at BRAC Centre.
Books of condolences will be opened at Aarong outlets, BRAC Bank offices and BRAC University on Monday.
Condolence books will also be opened at all BRAC regional offices on Tuesday and all the books will remain open from 10:00am to 5:00pm until January 30, 2020, according to a press release by BRAC acting head of media and external relations Rafe Sadnan Adel.
Fazle Hasan Abed founded BRAC in 1972 with a small relief and rehabilitation project in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh.
The non-governmental organisation currently works in 11 countries in Asia and Africa, with affiliate offices in the USA, UK and the Netherlands.
Born on April 27, 1936 at village Baniachang in Habiganj, Fazle Hasan Abed died at the age of 83.
In 1971, he left his job as a senior corporate executive at Pakistan Shell Oil and moved to London where he helped initiate Action Bangladesh and HELP Bangladesh organisations in support of the war of independence.
In 2010, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George by the British Crown in recognition of his services to reducing poverty in Bangladesh and internationally.
Fazle Abed was also honoured with a Dutch knighthood in 2019.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
