Arafat Rahman Coco suffered when he was alive for being a member of the Zia family, his mother Khaleda Zia has said.

The BNP chairperson thanked everyone for the sympathy they showered her with on the loss of her son and said it ‘touched her’.

She made the allegation in a statement issued on Wednesday, a day after Coco was buried in Dhaka.

The former prime minister and widow of Bangladesh’s first military ruler Gen Ziaur Rahman urged everyone to pray for the peace of their son’s soul.

Citing the ‘record’ number of people who attended Coco’s Namaz-e-Janaza held at home and abroad, the former prime minister said she was deeply moved.

“The participation from all walks of life in the country will help me gather the strength to overcome the sorrow,” she said.

The BNP chief also said Coco, who had not been in politics, had attached himself to sports.

“It is unfortunate that he had to face all sorts of torture, harassment and propaganda only because he was a member of the Zia family.

“He was not spared from extreme hostility even after being under treatment for illness abroad,” she said.

QH