Veteran political leader and organiser of the 1969 mass uprising Tofail Ahmed was laid to rest in his ancestral village in Bhola on Tuesday, bringing an emotional end to a day-long funeral procession attended by thousands of mourners.
He was buried in the family graveyard beside his mother Fatema Begum in Koralia Village under South Dighaldi Union in Bhola Sadar Upazila following a namaz-e-janaza held after the Zhr prayers.
Earlier in the day, a helicopter carrying his body landed at the Bhola helipad around 1:30pm, where a large crowd had already gathered to catch a final glimpse of the former commerce minister. His arrival drew thousands of people from different areas of Bhola.
His body was first taken to Bhola Government High School ground, where the main janaza was held. People from all walks of life, including supporters of different political parties, attended the prayer to pay their respects. A guard of honour was also presented there before the janaza.
Following the ceremony in Bhola Town, his body was taken to his ancestral village, Koralia, where a second and final janaza was performed. Relatives, villagers and admirers joined the prayer, many of them visibly emotional.
Mourners described Tofail Ahmed as a “leader of the soil and people,” recalling his lifelong contributions to the development of Bhola and his political career spanning decades. Many attendees were seen in tears while paying their last respects.
Security personnel and local political activists were deployed at different points throughout the funeral arrangements to maintain order.
Tofail Ahmed passed away at around 3:30pm on Monday while undergoing treatment at Square Hospital in Dhaka. His first funeral prayer was held after Maghrib at Takwa Mosque in Dhanmondi, attended by political leaders, former ministers and distinguished citizens of the country.
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