Former mayor of Rangpur city and Freedom Fighter Sarfuddin Ahmed Jhantu was laid to eternal rest on Monday evening at the city’s Nurpur Graveyard with full state honours.
Jhantu was buried beside the graves of his father Mohiuddin Ahmed and mother Zobeda Khatun at 6:50pm.
The career politician, who was also an Advisory Council member of the district Awami League unit, died at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital in Dhaka at 3:30pm on Sunday.
The 66-year-old left behind his wife and only son to mourn his death, family members said.
Earlier, Jhantu was flown to the capital by air ambulance from Rangpur on February 1 following a brain haemorrhage.
Later, the former MP was admitted to BSMMU and kept in the ICU in critical conditions under life support where he breathed his last.
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A pall of gloom descended among the political leaders and activists of all parties, freedom fighters, business community leaders, professionals, socio-cultural activists and elite of the city following his death.
Jhantu was elected the first mayor of Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) on December 20, 2012, beating Jatiya Party candidate Md Mustafizur Rahman Mostafa by 27,000 votes.
Jhantu had sought re-election in the second RpCC polls held in December last year. But Mostafa beat him this time in a landslide victory, bagging 160,489 votes at 193 polling centres across the city.
The first namaz-e-janaza of Jhantu was held at the South Plaza of the parliament building in Dhaka on Monday morning with participation of the ministers, chief whip, whips, parliament members and leaders of the ruling party and its associate bodies.
A guard of honour was given there to the freedom fighter by a smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Police.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid homage to the former Rangpur mayor by placing a wreath on his coffin there.
Flanked by senior party leaders, Hasina, also the Awami League president, placed another wreath on the coffin on behalf of the party.
Later, Jhantu’s body was flown to Rangpur around 1pm by a helicopter from Dhaka and taken to his Guptapara residence where hundreds of common people thronged to pay last respect.
In the afternoon, the body was taken to the Police Lines School and College grounds where a smart contingent of police forces gave a guard of honour and bugle played the last post before his second janaza there at 5:25pm after the Asr prayers.
Hundreds of common people, freedom fighters, political leaders and activist, officials, educationists, students, youths, socio-cultural and human rights activities and professionals participated in the janaza and later paid their respect before he was buried.
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