Golam Sarwar laid to rest; given state honour

Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar was laid to eternal rest in the city on Thursday.

He was buried at Mirpur Martyred Intellectual Graveyard around 4:40pm after his fourth and final namaz-e-Janaza at the Jatiya Press Club.

He was given state owner before the burial as he was a freedom fighter.

On behalf of Dhaka district administration, a smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Police draped the veteran journalist's coffin with the national flag, and gave him a guard of honour as a mark of state honour on Jatiya Press Club premises after his fourth namaz-e-janaza there.

On behalf of President Abu Hamid, his military secretary Sarwar Hossain earlier placed a wreath on Sarwar's coffin.

Later, Prime Minister's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Press Secretary Ehsanul Karim and Deputy Press Secretary Ashraful Alam Khokan, on behalf of the Prime Minister, placed a wreath on the coffin.

Representatives from different ministries, Jatiya Press Club, political parties, including BNP, journalists' organisations and professional bodies placed wreaths on his coffin.

Sarwar's body was taken to the Jatiya Press Club from the Central Shaheed Minar around 1pam and his last janaza was held there around 1:40pm.

Editors, senior journalists, Press Club members, politicians, business leaders and friends and well-wishers of Sarwar attended the janaza.

Before the janaza, a brief memorial programme was held where information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Prime Minister's media adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, State Minister for Information Tarana Halim, BNP vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman, The Daily Star Editor and Editors' Council's general secretary Mahfuz Anam, News Today Editor Reazuddin Ahmed, former BFUJ President Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Samakal Publisher AK Azad, Press Club President Shafiqur Rahman, Vice President Saiful Islam, General Secretary Farida Yasmin, and Samakal acting Editor Mostafiz Shafi BFUJ President Molla Jalal and Sarwar's eldest son Golam Shahriar Ranjan, paid their tributes to the late editor and recalled his contributions to the development of journalism in the country.

Earlier in the day, Sarwar's body was taken to his workplace in Tejgaon Industrial area around 9am where his colleagues paid last respects to their late editor, while his third namaz-e-janaza was held at the field of Bangladesh University of Textiles adjacent to Samakal office.

Later, his body was brought to the Central Shaheed Minar where people from all walks of life paid their last tributes to the late Samakal Editor.

The body of Sarwar, also the President of Editors' Council, was kept at the Central Shaheed Minar from 10:45 am to 12:30 pm enabling people to pay their last respects to him.

Golam Sarwar breathed his last around 9:25 pm (BST) on Monday at the age of 75while undergoing treatment at Singapore General Hospital for various diseases.

His body arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Singapore around 10:50pm on Tuesday.

It was flown to his birthplace Banaripara, Barishal on Wednesday noon and his first janaza was held on Banaripara Model Institution.

His body was brought back to the capital around 5pm the same day and his second janaza was held in front of a mosque in Uttara.