BD observes Mourning Day

Bangladesh observed one-day national mourning at the demise of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi on Saturday.  
National flag was kept half-mast at government, semi-government and autonomous organisations, educational institutions, government and private buildings, and the Bangladesh missions abroad.
Special prayers were
held in mosques and other places of worship across the country on Saturday.
On Friday, the Bangladesh government announced a day of state mourning on Saturday for Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheilkh Hasina expressed shock and sorrow at the death of UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In separate statements they said Bangladesh lost a "tested and true friend" in his death, remembering the role he played in developing bilateral ties. "The UEA President has played an important role for the development of Bangladesh-United Arab Emirates ties," President Hamid said adding that at his death, Bangladesh lost a tested and true friend.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a condolence letter to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said, "The Government and People of Bangladesh join me in conveying our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to Your Highness and through you to the bereaved members of the Royal family and the Emirati brethren at this critical moment of grief and sorrow."
She reiterated, "His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was a great statesman, a great ruler of Abu Dhabi, and a visionary leader of the Muslim Ummah. His dynamic leadership, sagacity, and dedication to the national development of the United Arab Emirates and the advancement of the Islamic cause are some cases in points that will keep him a memorable personality in history."
She conveyed highest tribute on behalf of the people of Bangladesh to the departed soul.
She stated, "We join hands in prayer for his eternal peace that Almighty Allah will grant him the highest place in Jannat. We also pray to Allah for bestowing courage and fortitude to the members of the bereaved Royal Family and the brotherly people of the United Arab Emirates to bear this irreparable loss."
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was a dynamic and visionary statesman of the UAE, she said.
Khalifa, born in 1948, had rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2014. Funeral prayers will be held on Friday, state news agency WAM said.