Staff Correspondent
Arafat Rahman Koko, younger son of late president Ziaur Rahman and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, was laid to eternal rest at Banani civil graveyard in the capital on Tuesday.
After Bangladesh Army denied its portion of the Banani graveyard for Koko's burial, family and relatives decided to bury Koko at the civil graveyard.
Earlier, Moulana M Salauddin Ahmed, Khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, conducted Koko's Namaj-e- Janaza in the mosque after Asr prayers.
Prior to the janaza, Khaleda's younger brother Shameem Iskander urged the people to pardon Koko if any of them would have been hurt by him and asked them to communicate with the family later if they have any financial or any other pending dealings with Koko.
Leaders and activists of BNP, its political allies and people from all walks of life took part in the janaza that started at 5:12pm. Around one square kilometre area around the mosque was packed with the people taking part in the Janaza, a witness said.
Koko's body was flown in from Malaysia at 11:40am at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Shameem Iskander, brother of Khaleda Zia,  along with Koko's wife and two daughters brought the body back.
BNP Standing Committee members Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Vice Chairmen Abdullah Al Noman and Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yousuf and central leader Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury received the body at the airport.
From the airport, Koko's body, carried in an ambulance, was taken straight to the BNP chief's Gulshan office where friends, well-wishers and others paid their last tribute to him.
Khaleda Zia broke down into tears seeing the body of her son at her office. Some family members and close aides were beside the BNP chief as she saw Koko for the first time since their last meeting in Singapore one and half years back.
The body was taken to the first floor around 1:55pm, where Khaleda Zia mourned for around 30 minutes. Later, the coffin was taken to the national mosque for  Namaz-e-Janaza.
Meanwhile, many participants alleged that the political speech of Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, special aide to the BNP Chief, at the office tarnished the mourning atmosphere.
Shimul Biswas said, "This Janaza will become a massive protest against the fascist government."
The ongoing anti-government movement enforced by 20-party alliance will continue until the fall of the ruling Awami League government, he said.
"While the government is filing cases against the opposition leaders, it is condoling the death of the BNP  chairperson's son. This is a dual stand and conflicting," Biswas alleged.
Koko, who had been living in Malaysia on parole, died of heart failure at Kuala Lumpur around 1:30pm on Saturday.