Speakers at the Qulkhawani and Dua Mahfil for Zainul Haque Sikder, a valiant freedom fighter and leading industrialist of the country, lauded his contribution to the country and society.
Most of them recalled their experiences with Zainul Haque Sikder and said he was a down-to-earth human being and worked for the welfare of the common people throughout his life.
He also worked to take technology to the grass-roots people, they said.
The Qulkhawani for Zainul Haque Sikder, the Chairman of Sikder Group of Companies and National Bank Limited, was held on the premises of ZH Sikder Women's Medical College in the capital’s Rayerbazar on Tuesday evening.
The gathering of thousands of people, including ministers, members of parliament, political leaders, entrepreneurs, civil society leaders, cultural activists and other dignitaries, to join the prayer turned the college campus into a human sea.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Fazle Rabbi Miah led the Dua Mahfil. Lawmakers Matia Chowdhury, Md Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Eng Mosharraf Hossain, Parveen Haque Sikder, who is the daughter of Zainul Haque Sikder, Ali Azam, Md Sadek Khan, Hasanul Haq Inu and Aslamul Haque, and National Bank acting Managing Director ASM Bulbul spoke at the prayer session, among others.
Lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury, former MPs ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader and Major (redt) Akhtaruzzaman, and cultural personality Nasiruddin Yusuff Bachchu were among the attendees.
From the family, Zainul Haque Sikder’s wife Monowara Haque Sikder, daughter Parveen Haque Sikder, sons Rick Haque Sikder and Ron Haque Sikder, daughters Nasim Haque Sikder and Lisa F Haque Sikder, and grandchildren were present at the prayer session.
Relatives, well-wishers, officials and employees of the organizations Zainul Haque Sikder founded were also present.
Family members urged everyone joining the Dua to pray for the divine blessings for the deceased.
“Please pray for my father so that Allah grants him Jannatul Firdaus,” Parveen Haque Sikder told the attendees.
In the prayer, salvation of the departed soul was sought.
In her speech, former minister Matia Chowdhury MP said Zainul Haque Sikder always worked for the welfare of the people.
She praised the contribution Zainul Haque Sikder made for the development of women in the country.
Matia Chowdhury referred to Zainul Haque Sikder's leaving the comfort of sleeping on cosy bed and taking the pain of sleeping on the floor in protest against the murder of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Zainul Haque Sikder passed away on February 10 at a hospital in Dubai at the age of 91. His body was flown to Bangladesh on February 12 by a chartered aircraft. He was laid to rest on the premises of ZH Sikder Women's Medical College on Sunday evening.
The first Namaz-e-Janaza for him was held on February 13 on the ZH Sikder Women’s Medical College at Rayerbazar with participation of thousands of people, including a number of ministers, lawmakers and prominent personalities.
Immediately before the Janaza, Zainul Haque Sikder was given a guard of honour by the state for his role in the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. A smart contingent of police led by a magistrate of the Dhaka district administration offered the guard of honour.
The second Namaz-e-Janaza for him was held on Sunday at his village home in Bhedarganj Upazila in Shariatpur district where he was given a second guard of honour by the state.
An entrepreneur of a rare genre, Zainul Haque Sikder was born on August 12 in 1930 in Assam in undivided India and migrated to present-day Bangladesh with his family during the partition in 1947.
He was one of those who contributed greatly to the development and progress of Bangladesh. He established a large number of business ventures in the fields of education, health, housing and tourism and employed about 20,000 people in the last seven decades.
Apart from establishing business entities, Zainul Haque Sikder helped create numerous entrepreneurs. He extended helping hand to many leading entrepreneurs of the country during their initial days of establishing businesses.
He is well-known as a philanthropist too. Besides founding schools, colleges and hospitals, he extended support to efforts for poverty reduction and welfare of the underprivileged and marginal people of society.
Zainul Haque Sikder had been with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as one of his close and trustworthy associates since 1945.
President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Cabinet members, political leaders, business leaders, and other dignitaries expressed condolence at his death.
