Tarique attends Coco's absentia funeral prayer in London

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's eldest son Tarique Rahman has attended an absentia funeral prayer for his late younger brother Arafat Rahman Coco in London.

The prayer was held around 3:30pm on Sunday local time at Altab Ali Park in East London.

Apart from Tarique, the prayer was also attended by the expatriate supporters of the BNP and Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman.

After the Namaj-e-Janaza, Tarique also addressed those who attended the prayer.

Bangladesh's High Court has banned all kinds of media coverage of speeches and statements of the BNP senior vice-chairman as long as he remains a fugitive from justice.

The youngest son of Khaleda and late president Ziaur Rahman, Coco, died of heart failure on Saturday in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur. He was 45.

His first Namaz-e-Janaza was held at Malaysia’s National Mosque after Zuhr prayers on Sunday.

Khaleda's younger brother Shamim Eskander flew to Malaysia Saturday night to bring back Coco's body. He was present at the funeral along with the BNP chief’s advisor Mosaddek Ali Falu.

BNP activists and Bangladeshi expatriates residing in different areas of Malaysia also took part in the prayers.

Coco's mortal remains will arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday morning, the BNP has said.

The party has also announced to observe three days of mourning from Monday.

Coco, who was carrying a six-year jail term on his head for smuggling millions of taka out of Bangladesh, had been staying in a rented flat with his wife and two daughters since 2011.

Tarique, implicated in a number of cases, has been living in London since 2008 after being released on parole.

Later, he was declared absconding by a Dhaka court in a money laundering case.

He, however, spoke to his grieving mother on Saturday after learning of Coco's death, BNP leaders said.