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5 years ago

Mortal remains of Sheikh Selim's grandson to arrive Wednesday

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The mortal remains of Zayan Chowdhary, the grandson of Awami League leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim who died in the Easter Day blasts in Sri Lanka, will be flown back to Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The coffin bearing his body is scheduled to arrive on board a flight at 11am on Wednesday, Sheikh Selim’s nephew Ashiqur Rahman said, reports bdnews24.com.

His Namaz-e-Janaza will be held at Banani’s Chairmanbari Mosque after the Asr prayers on Wednesday.

Earlier, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun had told the media that Zayan’s remains would be flown back on Tuesday.

Addressing the minister’s announcement, Ashiq said, “That was the situation at that point. The family later decided the matter.”

The eight-and-a half-year-old Zayan had gone to Sri Lanka with his family on a holiday tour. He was having breakfast with his father Moshiul Haque Chowdhary Prince at a restaurant on the ground floor of a hotel in Colombo that came under attack along with several other hotels and churches during Easter Sunday celebrations.     

Prince was also injured and hospitalised, according to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a relative of Selim.

Zayan’s younger brother Zohan Chowdhary and mother Sheikh Amina Sultana Sonia were in their hotel room during the blast.

Speaking to Bangladeshi expatriates in Brunei on Sunday, Hasina urged them to pray for the grieving family.

 “Sheikh Selim’s daughter, son-in-law and two children were in Sri Lanka. The son-in-law, Prince, was injured when the restaurant was bombed. He has been hospitalised while there is no trace of the eight-and-a-half-year-old boy. Please pray for their safe return,” Hasina said.

Later in the night, an aide to the family said that the boy was found hospitalised in a critical condition while Prince was out of danger.

Selim’s relative Sheikh Olidur Rahman Hira later confirmed the news of Zayan’s death. Selim’s wife and younger son Sheikh Fazle Nayeem started for Colombo in the afternoon.

Sheikh Fazle Fahim, another son of Selim, was also starting for Sri Lanka from Brunei, where he was accompanying Hasina.

Selim was at home in Dhaka and many Awami League leaders came to console him.

At least 290 people were killed and more than 500 others injured in the bombings, the first major attack on the Indian Ocean island since the end of a civil war 10 years ago.

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