Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia's self-exiled
son, who died in Malaysia last week, was buried in Dhaka on Tuesday amid
an escalation of political turmoil that has claimed 37 lives. Arafat
Rahman Koko was buried at the Banani graveyard after the
'Namaz-e-Janaza' or the funeral prayers.
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Bangladeshi mourners carry the coffin bearing the mortal remains of Arafat Rahman Koko, son of former Bangladeshi president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, in Dhaka on January 27, 2015. Arafat Rahman Koko, 44, died in exile in Malaysia on January 24, devastating 69-year-old Zia as she launched a new rounds of protests earlier this month to topple bitter rival, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Police said 50,000 people attended the funeral at the country's Baitul Mokarram National Mosque in the capital Dhaka after Koko's body was flown back home from Malaysia. Agencies AFP photo
Zia gave her younger son an emotional send off touching his face in the coffin. The funeral prayer was held at the Baitul Mokarram National Mosque. Earlier, senior leaders of former premier Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) received the body of Koko who died aged 45 on Saturday following a cardiac arrest. Koko's wife and two daughters arrived with the body on board a Malaysian Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur.
Koko's body was driven straight to her mother's Gulshan office from where she is spearheading a fierce campaign against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government. A large crowd had gathered in front of Zia's office awaiting the body.
The death of Zia's son came amid a BNP-enforced nationwide blockade which entered its 22nd day on Tuesday. Sporadic violence was reported and two more people died overnight to take the death toll in the violence to 37 with nearly half of them killed in arson attacks on buses and other public transport vehicles.
The latest victims were truck drivers who succumbed to their burn wounds early this morning at two state-run hospitals in the capital and northwestern Rangpur, days after arsonists attacked their vehicles with petrol bombs.
At least 37 people have been killed in violence during anti-government protests that took place following BNP's call for a nationwide non-stop blockade from January 6 after authorities barred its chief Zia from joining a protest rally to mark the first anniversary of the last year's divisive January 5 polls.
Senior BNP leaders, on condition of anonymity, said they plan to request Zia to invite Hasina to attend Koko's 'Qulkhwani' -- the Quran recitation and prayers for the deceased -- later this week. Political divisions have sharply increased as manifested in the controversy that emerged last week when Hasina, who had gone to offer condolences on the sudden death of Zia's youngest son, was turned away from the gates of her arch-rival, in an apparent snub.
"We will request madam (Zia) to invite the Prime Minister (Hasina) to attend the Qulkhwani but the decision will be taken by her," a BNP leader was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.
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