Shahjahan Siraj laid to rest

Former forest and environment minister and BNP leader Shahjahan Siraj was laid to eternal rest in the capital on Wednesday night, reports UNB.

He was buried at Banani Graveyard after his third and final janaza on Gulshan Society Jam-e-mosque premises after Isha prayers.

Siraj, also a former BNP vice-chairman, died at Evercare Hospital in the capital on Tuesday at the age of 77, after a long battle with cancer.

His body was taken to his home district Tangail in the morning where his two separate namaz-e-janazas were held at Elenga and Kalihati.

After his Janaza at Kalihati, Siraj was given guard of honour as he was a freedom fighter and one of the organisers of the Liberation War.

Later, Siraj's body was brought back to Dhaka for burial.

Born in Kalihati of Tangail on 1 March, 1943, Siraj was a commander of the Bangladesh Liberation Force.

On 3 March, 1971, he read out the manifesto of Bangladesh's independence.

Siraj was elected MP thrice--1979, 1986 and 1988--with JSD ticket from Kalihati and twice with BNP ticket.

As the environment minister of BNP's 2001-2006 cabinet, he earned reputation with some bold initiatives, including banning polythene and removing two-stroke autorickshaw from Dhaka's street.

Siraj became inactive in politics since 2012 after he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Later, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and suffered from some other old-age complications.