Gaffar Chowdhury’s mortal remains arrive in Dhaka

The coffin of eminent journalist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury arrived in Dhaka from London on Saturday. UNB

Dhaka, May 28 – The mortal remains of prominent Bangladeshi-British writer and columnist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury arrived in Dhaka on Saturday.

A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying Gaffar Chowdhury's body from London, where he died of a cardiac arrest, reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11.05am, said additional SP of Airport Armed Police, Mohammad Ziaul Haque.

His body will be kept at Central Shaheed Minar from 1pm to 3pm for the government to give a guard of honour and the people to pay their last tributes.

His Namaz-e-Janaza will be held at Dhaka University Central Mosque at 3.30pm and then the mortal remains will be taken to Jatiya Press Club (JPC) for the journalists to pay homage at 4pm.

Gaffar Chowdhury will be buried at Martyred Intellectuals Graveyard in Mirpur at 5.30pm.

Gaffar Chowdhury went to London in 1974 for his wife's treatment, thanks to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

On May 19, the veteran writer died of a cardiac arrest at a hospital in London. He was 88.

The Bangladeshi-British community and other admirers paid their last respects to Gaffar Chowdhury -- best known for writing the lyrics of "Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano" -- following his first Namaz-e-Janaza held at London's Brick Lane mosque the next day. - UNB