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Published : 28 Feb 2025, 04:00 PM
People from all walks of life have bid an emotional farewell to respected politician Abdullah Al Noman in Chattogram.
His funeral prayers took place at the Jamiatul Falah National Mosque field in the port city on Friday.
The field was packed with mourners, with the crowd spilling onto the nearby road. People of all ages gathered to pay their respects.
Leaders from various political parties, as well as members of professional, social, and cultural organisations, also took part in the prayer service for Noman, who was seen as one of their own.
Before the funeral prayer, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury shared his memories of his long-time political ally. “Noman Bhai was a principled politician. He was involved in student and worker politics before joining the main party. He was a humble and respectful person.”
“We worked together in the streets. He took his responsibilities in the party seriously, and today it’s clear how deeply he was connected with the workers. He became a true leader of the people.”
Noman's son Sayeed Al Noman spoke about his father’s remarkable political journey of 68 years. “In my life, I’ve met thousands of people, and many have shared how they benefited from him, although I don’t fully understand how.”
“He served as a minister just twice. Yet in such a short time, he managed to do so much for so many people. I can’t explain how.”
He also recalled conversations with his father in his later years, saying, “I was always by his side, so I know. He would ask, ‘I’m Noman, Abdullah Al Noman. How are you? Are you upset with me?’ He would say, ‘If anything went wrong, it must be my fault. Otherwise, why would you be upset with me?’ He never blamed anyone else for his mistakes. He was humble and never took credit for himself.”
“When my father was in the Students' Union, he first spoke about the need for a university in Chattogram at Laldighi. He also proposed the third Karnaphuli Bridge to [former prime minister] Khaleda Zia. He was very fond of this mosque and even secured funds for it. It was through his proposal that Khaleda Zia declared Chattogram the commercial capital, with 16 points.”
“He always wanted us, his two children, to serve the people. Service was his only goal. Please pray for him.”
Communist Party of Bangladesh's President Md Shah Alam shared his memories, saying, “In 1968, I was arrested alongside Noman Bhai. We spent eight months in jail together. There are so many memories. May he rest in peace.”
BNP’s divisional Organising Secretary Mahbubur Rahman Shamim said, “I fought alongside him in the anti-Ershad movement, following his guidance. The whole country has suffered with the loss of such a leader.”
City Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain said, “Noman Bhai, a leader of the people, has left us at a critical time. He made significant contributions to Chattogram's development, including the third Karnaphuli Bridge, the education board, and the growth of this Jamiatul Falah mosque.”
After the funeral, Noman’s body was taken to Raozan Upazila. In the afternoon, another funeral prayer will be held at Gohira Schoolground, where he will be laid to rest at the family graveyard.
Earlier on Friday, Noman’s body was brought to the BNP office, Nasiman Bhaban, in the port city for the last time. People of all ages gathered to pay their respects. The ambulance carrying his body was covered in flowers, with many mourners visibly emotional.
In the morning, his body was displayed at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Khulshi, and later at East Delta University, for students, teachers, and staff to pay their respects.
The veteran BNP leader and former minister died early on Tuesday in the capital at the age of 80.
Noman was born in Gahira village in Chattogram’s Raozan in 1945 and was once involved in leftist politics. At the start of the ‘60s he took part in the movement opposing the Hamidur Rahman Education Commission and became a member of the Student Union.
After his student days, Noman followed Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani into labour politics. He became vice president of the East Bengal Workers Federation. He was also secretly part of the Bhashani-allied NAP. In 1970, he became the organising secretary of NAP.
He was an active freedom fighter during the 1971 Liberation War. He continued NAP politics after Bangladesh gained its independence before joining the BNP in 1981.
Noman was elected member of parliament from the Chattogram-9 (Kotwali) seat with the paddy sheaf symbol in 1991 and 2001. He served as minister to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Ministry of Forest and Environment under Khaleda Zia’s administrations.
