Mayor Annisul Huq’s body at Army Stadium

Mayor Annisul Huq’s mortal remains have been taken to Dhaka’s Army Stadium for funeral prayers. Afterwards the body will be taken to Banani Graveyard for the burial.

The Dhaka North mayor suddenly fell ill during a visit to London in July. He spent most of the time since under intensive care in a hospital. Doctors declared him dead on Thursday.

A Bangladesh Biman flight carrying Huq’s body arrived at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalala International Airport around 1pm. The body was accompanied by wife Rubana Huq and son Navidul Huq.

Awami League General Secretary and Transport Minister Obaidul Quader and other party leaders met the family at the airport. The former mayor’s brother, Army Chief Abu Belal Mohammad Shafiul Huq, was also present.

The body was taken to Huq’s Banani home from airport.

The first funeral prayers were held at London Central Mosque near Regent’s Park after the Juma prayers on Friday.

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

He died at the hospital on Thursday night. 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 2015.

He had served as president of Bangladesh’s apex trade body FBCCI during the military-installed caretaker administration.

Prior to 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.

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.

Huq’s wife Rubana 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.