Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal protest before Tofail Ahmed’s funeral in Bhola

Tension flared in Bhola before the funeral of veteran Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed, as activists of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal staged a protest before the funeral.

Around 11am on Tuesday, the BNP student and youth wing activists gathered at the Bhola Government High School grounds -- the designated venue for the funeral prayer -- and raised slogans, creating brief unrest in the area.

They alleged that Tofail was responsible for the deaths of Chhatra Dal leader Nur-e-Alam and Jubo Dal activist Ruhin, and demanded that the funeral prayer not be held on the school premises.

Later, senior BNP leaders, including district unit Member Secretary Raisul Alam, arrived at the scene and persuaded the protesters to leave, defusing the situation.

Tofail, a key organiser of the Liberation War and a prominent figure of the 1969 Mass Uprising, died on Monday around 3:30pm at Square Hospital in Dhaka.

His funeral prayer was held later that evening at Taqwa Mosque in Dhanmondi.

His body was flown to Bhola by helicopter on Tuesday afternoon. Following the funeral at Bhola Government High School, he is scheduled to be laid to rest beside his mother’s grave in Koralia village of South Gangapur.

The veteran leader had been undergoing treatment at Square Hospital since Sept 24 due to age-related complications.