Dhaka, Dec 31 (bdnews24.com) -- The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has paid its last respects to late wing commander (retired) M. Hamidullah Khan, commander of the Sector-11 during the 1971 Liberation War. Khan was a senior leader of the party and a three-time MP.
His body was taken to BNP's Naya Paltan headquarters on Saturday where party chief Khaleda Zia paid her last tributes. BNP-affiliated organisations and various social and cultural organisations also paid last respects by placing wreaths on his coffin.
BNP standing committee members, senior leaders and four-party alliance leaders were present on the occasion.
A namaj-e-janaza was held afterwards. The BNP chief also consoled the family members of Khan present.
Khan, a Bir Protik gallantry awardee, died around 2.30 pm on Friday at Combined Military Hospital after he was admitted that morning with high blood pressure. He was 74.
Khan's first janaza was held in Dhaka Cantonment's Allhu Mosque around 8 pm on Friday. The second one was held at the same mosque at 10.15 am on Saturday.
Atikullah Khan Masud, Khan's elder brother and editor of Bengali daily Jana Kantha, BNP vice-president Shamsher Mabin Chowdhury, former party whip Zamal Uddin and other former colleagues, friends and relatives attended the second janaza.
The body will later be taken to the South Plaza of the Parliament building where a fourth funeral prayer is scheduled to take place.
Earlier, Khan's mortal remains were brought back to his Cantonment residence around 10 am from the CMH mortuary where his relatives and well-wishers paid their tributes.
After the janaza at Parliament, the freedom fighter's body would be taken to his village Medinimandal under Louhajang Upazila of Munshiganj.
His eldest son Tareque Ahmed Khan said another funeral prayer would take place there after the Asr prayer. Then the body would be returned to the CMH mortuary.
Khan would be buried at the capital's Banani graveyard on Sunday.
The former Air Force officer was elected an MP three terms -- 1979, 1991 and 1996 – from his ancestral home town, Munshiganj. He lost in the 2008 elections from a Dhaka constituency.
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