Former minister Zahiruddin Khan passes away

Dhaka, March 29 (BDNEWS) - A M Zahiruddin Khan, former Minister for Industries and Planning and Member of the Parliament died early Tuesday in Bangkok. He was 69.

The body of late Khan will be flown in Dhaka Wednesday by Thai Airways flight.

His Namaj-e-janaja will be held at Gulshan Azad Mosque after Asr prayer the same day. His body will than be flown to Chittagong Thursday.

He will be buried in family graveyard at Batali hill after Namaj-e-janaja at Jamiatul Al-falah Mosque after Jumma prayer on Friday.

Mr Khan was born in a respectable Muslim family of Chittagong in 1936. His father Late A K Khan was a Minister in the Central Cabinet of the then Pakistan and pioneer industrialist of Bangladesh.

Late Zahiruddin Khan was the Chairman-cum Managing Director of A K Khan Group of Industries and chairman of country's leading mobile phone operator AKTel. He held the position of the President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry for two consecutive terms from 1975 to 1978.

He became the President of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1977 and attended the 60th session of the International Labor Organisation held in Geneva as representative of Employers' Association.

He joined Bangladesh Nationalist Party and was elected Member of Parliament in 1979. He was state minister for industries of the Ziaur Rahman government.

He left behind his wife, two sons and two daughters and a host of relations and admirers to mourn his death. Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan is one of his cousins as well as brother-in law.

BNP Secretary General and LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuyian expressed his deep condolence at the death of Zahir Uddin Khan.

In a condolence message the BNP leader said that the country has lost a patriotic political personality at the death of Khan.

He expressed his sympathy to the members of the bereaved family and prayed for the salvation of the departed soul.

Chittagong city mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, president of chittagong chamber of commerce and industry Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, Chittagong city BNP also condoled the death of country's pioneer industrialist Zahiruddin Khan.

BDNEWS/ 1838