Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury’s body arrives

Renowned journalist, Language Movement veteran and prominent columnist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury’s body arrived on Saturday morning.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight (BG-202), carrying the body of Chowdhury, also the eminent writer and journalist, reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in city at 10:57am.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, on government's behalf, formally received the body at the airport at 11:15am, ministry sources said.

Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque, Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, Former Minister and Awami League Presidium Member Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain, Bangladesh High Commissioner in London Saida Muna Tasneem, Office Secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Biplob Barua and officials of various ministries and Bangladesh Biman were also present at that time.

Chowdhury's body will be buried at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard beside his wife to fulfill his last wish in line with the directions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reports BSS.

His body has now been kept on the Central Shaheed Minar premises so that the people from all walks of life can pay their last respect to the renowned writer.

Chowdhury will also be given a guard of honour there.

His namaz-e-janaza will be held at the Dhaka University central mosque here at 3.30 pm. Later, the body will be taken to the Jatiya Press Club at 4 pm where the journalists will pay homage to him.

On May 19, Chowdhury, also a lyricist, died at a hospital in London at the age of 88.