Birth: 27 October 1952 Death: 30 November 2017
Dhaka North Mayor Annisul Huq has been laid to rest at the capital’s Banani Graveyard.People from all walks of life attended his funeral prayers and bade the final farewell to the beloved mayor on Saturday. His well-wishers said they would never forget the mayor who brought tangible changes in the northern part of the capital city.
A partial view of the funeral prayers of Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq. Thousands of people attended the prayers at the Army Stadium in the capital on December 2, 2017. -Jahidul Islam/AA
Politicians from across the political spectrum, including the BNP, paid their final respects to the departed mayor. Business leaders were also in attendance.The coffin bearing the mayor’s body arrived from London Saturday afternoon and was first taken to his Banani home to allow people to pay their respects and then to the Army Stadium for funeral prayers before being brought to Banani Graveyard.
Annisul Huq’s wife Rubana Huq accompanied the body from London. The late mayor’s brother, Army Chief Abu Belal Mohammad Shafiul Huq, accompanied his brother’s mortal remains from the airport to his final resting place. Annisul’s son Navidul Huq said at the funeral prayer at Army Stadium, “My father was a happy person.”He never hurt anyone for his or our family’s interests. He never wished bad for anyone.
“Even if he hurt some of yours’ feelings for the sake of the responsibilities he was discharging, please forgive him,” Navidul said.Rubana broke into tears when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the bereaved family at Banani earlier in the afternoon.
Sheikh Hasina offered prayers next to the body before holding a private conversation with the family members.Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party that picked Annisul for the mayoral election, said there would never be another person who would serve the city the way he did.
Besides Road Transport and Bridges Minister Quader, Awami League Advisory Council member and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, the party’s Presidium member Faruq Khan, and Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, MP, also visited the house.
BNP National Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury led the party’s delegation that visited the house to pay respects to Annisul.”He set an example of running a local government unit and development projects with a non-partisan stance,” Khasru said.
Dhaka South Mayor Sayeed Khokon said Annisul’s death was an irreparable loss.Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, among others, came to condole the bereaved family.
Thousands gathered in front of the house to pay respect to Annisul with tears dripping down their eyes.Employees of Dhaka North City Corporation and Annisul’s Mohammadi Group also came.One of the visitors, Kutub Uddin from Ibrahimpur, thinks Dhaka would be developed much if Annisul was not dead.
Dhaka North City Corporation Executive Engineer Khandaker Mahbub Alam said he never got a leader like Annisul in his around two decades of career.AK Azad, who took charge of the apex trade body FBCCI from Annisul, termed the mayor the ‘most successful president of the organisation’.
Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury (Parvez), a former BGMEA president, said, “He was our leader. His departure is an irreparable loss for the country.”
-AA Nasrin Jahan
