Mayor Annisul Huq laid to rest at Banani Graveyard

Dhaka North Mayor Annisul Huq has been laid to rest at the capital’s Banani Graveyard.

People from all walks of life attended his funeral prayers and bade the final farewell to the beloved mayor on Friday. His well-wishers said they would never forget the mayor who brought tangible changes in the northern part of the capital city.

Politicians from across the political spectrum, including the BNP, paid their final respects to the departed mayor. Business leaders were also in attendance.

The coffin bearing the mayor's body arrived from London Saturday afternoon and was first taken to his Banani home to allow people to pay their respects and then to the Army Stadium for funeral prayers before being brought to Banani Graveyard.

Annisul Huq’s wife Rubana Huq accompanied the body from London. The late mayor's brother, Army Chief Abu Belal Mohammad Shafiul Huq, accompanied his brother’s mortal remains from the airport to his final resting place.

Annisul's son Navidul Huq said at the funeral prayer at Army Stadium, "My father was a happy person.

"He never hurt anyone for his or our family's interests. He never wished bad for anyone.

"Even if he hurt some of yours' feelings for the sake of the responsibilities he was discharging, please forgive him," Navidul said.

Rubana broke into tears when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the bereaved family at Banani earlier in the afternoon.

Sheikh Hasina offered prayers next to the body before holding a private conversation with the family members.

Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party that picked Annisul for the mayoral election, said there would never be another person who would serve the city the way he did.

Besides Road Transport and Bridges Minister Quader, Awami League Advisory Council member and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, the party's Presidium member Faruq Khan, and Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, MP, also visited the house.

"He was honest and competent. He will remain in the heart of Dhaka residents forever," Tofail said.

BNP National Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury led the party's delegation that visited the house to pay respects to Annisul.

"He set an example of running a local government unit and development projects with a non-partisan stance," Khasru said.

Dhaka South Mayor Sayeed Khokon said Annisul's death was an irreparable loss.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, among others, came to condole the bereaved family.

"His departed soul will get peace if someone fulfils his dreams about the city," Prof Iqbal said.

Thousands gathered in front of the house to pay respect to Annisul with tears dripping down their eyes.

Employees of Dhaka North City Corporation and Annisul's Mohammadi Group also came.

One of the visitors, Kutub Uddin from Ibrahimpur, thinks Dhaka would be developed much if Annisul was not dead.

"Maybe Dhaka would not turn into a city like Singapore, but there will be developments," he said.

Ishita Alam Abonee, a World Bank official from Gulshan, thinks Annisul devoted himself to the development of Dhaka.

"He was 200 percent, not 100 percent, committed. I think extra work put pressure on his body," she said.

Dhaka North City Corporation Executive Engineer Khandaker Mahbub Alam said he never got a leader like Annisul in his around two decades of career.

He hoped to complete the unfinished jobs of Annisul.

Annisul had headed business bodies FBCCI and BGMEA.

AK Azad, who took charge of the apex trade body FBCCI from Annisul, termed the mayor the 'most successful president of the organisation'.

Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury (Parvez), a former BGMEA president, said, "He was our leader. His departure is an irreparable loss for the country."

Mayor Huq went to London at the end of July as his daughter was scheduled to give birth the following month. He was admitted to a hospital there after suddenly falling ill.

He died at the hospital on Thursday night at the age of 65 after around four months of treatment when the British doctors left no stone unturned for his cure. The doctors had diagnosed him with cerebral vasculitis — an inflammation of the blood vessel wall involving the brain.

Huq was elected Dhaka North City Corporation mayor on a ruling Awami League ticket in April 2015.

He had served as president of Bangladesh’s apex trade body FBCCI during the military-installed caretaker administration. Before that, he also headed the trade body of apparel makers and exporters, BGMEA.

With no apparent political ties, he was a surprise pick by the Awami League. Born in his mother’s ancestral village of Sonapur at Sonagazi in Feni on Oct 27, 1952, Huq graduated in economics from Chittagong University.

His father Shariful Huq, hailing from Noakhali’s Companyganj, was an official of the Ansar force while his brother General Abu Belal Mohammad Shafiul Huq is the current chief of Bangladesh Army.

He founded Mohammadi Group in 1986 after a stint in television as an anchor in the 1980s and 90s.

His wife Rubana Huq is the managing director of Mohammadi Group.

Their daughter Tanisha Fariaman Huq is also a company director.

The two other directors of the group are Annisul’s son Navidul Huq and Rubana’s daughter Wamiq Umaira, who is working at the International Labour Organization.