Sahara Khatun laid to rest

Former home minister and trusted aide of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sahara Khatun was laid to final rest at Banani graveyard in the capital yesterday, in the presence of Awami League leaders, activists, well-wishers and relatives.

Sahara Khatun, a presidium member of Awami League who was loyal to the party through thick and thin, was buried at 12pm yesterday.

Earlier, her first namaz-e-janaza was held at Baitul Sharif mosque near her residence in Agargaon at around 10am while the second one was held at Banani mosque.

Many AL leaders and activists Including Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, Awami League presidium members Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, two mayors of Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporation, and AL joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim attended the second namaz-e-janaza maintaining physical distance.

Floral wreaths were placed at her coffin on behalf of President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and on behalf of the party.

Later her dead body was covered with national and Awami League party flags in honour of her contribution in upholding the country's independence and sovereignty and establishing democracy.

Earlier, a special flight of US-Bangla Airlines carrying her body landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Bangkok at around 1:40am yesterday. 

Sahara Khatun was a lawmaker from Dhaka-18 constituency. She died at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok at 11:25pm (local time). She was 77.

She was taken to Bangkok on Monday by an air ambulance.

On June 2, the three-time MP was admitted to United Hospital with fever and complications associated with old age. She was later taken to the ICU of the hospital as her condition deteriorated.

Sahara Khatun was born in Dhaka's Kurmitola on March 1, 1943 to Abdul Aziz and Turjan Nesa.

Sahara was one of the forefront fighters as a lawyer in the legal battle to free Sheikh Hasina. She was also an activist.

In the 2008 national election, Sahara became an MP for the first time from Dhaka-18 constituency.

Sheikh Hasina included Sahara in her cabinet as minister for home affairs. In a cabinet reshuffle of 2012, she was made the minister of posts and telecommunications.