Thousands join first funeral prayer for Khoka in New York

The first namaz-e-janaza for former Dhaka mayor and BNP Vice-Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka has been held in New York.

New York Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 5 Nov 2019, 08:33 AM
Updated : 5 Nov 2019, 03:21 PM

Thousands of Bangladeshis took part in the funeral prayer at the Jamaica Muslim Centre on Monday (New York time). BNP leaders and activists, and staff of Bangladesh Embassy also attended the janaza.

Leaders of Sector Commanders’ Forum honoured Khoka with a salute before the namaz-e-janaza. The coffin of the prominent freedom fighter was wrapped in the Bangladesh national flag.

Khoka’s mortal remains will be brought back to Bangladesh from New York on Thursday.

Khoka died at the age of 67 at 1:50pm on Monday (Bangladesh time) after his long battle with cancer. He went to the US in May 2014 for treatment.

Khoka was admitted to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer in Manhattan for the last time on Oct 18 after infections developed in his mouth.

US Sector Commanders’ Forum’s President Rashed Ahmed, General Secretary Rezaul Bari Bakul, Vice-President Abul Bashar Chunnu and member Lablu Ansar took part in the salute in the event.

Freedom fighter ‘Babaruddin’, `Suruzzaman’, and Abdul Mukid Chowdhury came to pay their last respects to Khoka.

The disgruntled BNP leaders protested against Md Shamim Hossain, consul of the Bangladesh Consulate in New York, over his refusal to renew Khoka’s passport.

BNP leader Abdus Salam, Jamaica Muslim Centre’s General Secretary Monjur Ahmed Chowdhury and Khoka’s elder son Ishrak Hossain urged the leaders to be quiet and brought the situation under control.  

Khoka’s younger son Ishfaq Hosain said, “Our family will always remember all of your great supports towards us. I want to thank all of the staff of Bangladesh Consulate in New York as they took prompt measures to bring back my father’s body to Bangladesh.”

An aircraft carrying the remains of Khoka will leave John F Kennedy International Airport at 11pm on Tuesday. The body will arrive in Bangladesh on Thursday. He will be laid to rest in Jurain.

BNP leader MA Salam, a fellow politician, said, “The crowd of people proves Khoka’s popularity as a leader.”