Ershad to be buried in Rangpur, Raushan agrees

Showing respect to the love of people of Rangpur for her deceased husband and Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, Raushan Ershad on Tuesday agreed to bury him at Polli Nibash in his hometown Rangpur, reports UNB.

She also made a request to keep aside a place beside Ershad's grave so that she can be buried there after her demise, said a party press release.

"It's not possible to ignore the love and affection of the people of Rangpur for former president HM Ershad. So, the decision to bury him in Rangpur was taken considering the love and sentiment of the people of Rangpur."

Earlier, the fourth and final namaz-e-janaza of JaPa chairman HM Ershad was held at Central Collectorate Eidgah in the district town around 2:28pm with the participation of thousands of people.

Huge number of law enforcement officials were deployed in and around the Eidgah to fend off any untoward incident as local leaders announced to thwart party senior leaders' plan to bury Ershad at Military Graveyard in the capital instead of Rangpur.

A grave was dug on Monday for the JaPa Chairman at the Litchi Orchard at Polli Nibash.

On Sunday, JaPa secretary general Mashiur Rahman Ranga announced that their chairperson will be buried at the military graveyard in the capital.

Earlier in the morning, the body of Ershad, who passed away in the capital on Sunday morning, was taken to Rangpur for the janaza.

A helicopter of Bangladesh Air Force carrying the coffin of the Ershad landed at Rangpur Cantonment around 11:30am.

JaPa acting chairman GM Quader, secretary general Mashiur Rahman Ranga, former secretary general Ruhul Amin Hawlader and Ershad's son Rahgir Al Mahi Shad Ershad, among others, went there.

Ershad, a former military strongman and five-time MP, breathed his last around 7:45am on Sunday while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka.

His first janaza was held at the Army Central Mosque in Dhaka on Sunday while two other janazas were held in Dhaka on Monday.

Ershad's qulkhwani will be held on Wednesday at Gulshan's Azad mosque in Dhaka.

Ershad had been shuttling between his home and hospital for the last few months as his health condition deteriorated.

He was admitted to the CMH on 26 June as he had been suffering from various old-age complications, including low haemoglobin, kidney and liver problem, high bilirubin and serious knee pain.