The first death anniversary of Zainul Haque Sikder, a heroic freedom fighter, renowned philanthropist and founding chairman of Sikder Group, was observed on Thursday with due solemnity.
Milad and Dua Mahfil (special prayer session) and recitation from the Holy Quran were held at his grave on the Zainul Haque Sikder Medical College campus at the Rayer Bazar in the capital in observance of the day.
Sikder Group and National Bank Chairman Monowara Sikder, other members of the Sikder family, political leaders, business personalities, other dignitaries and people from different strata of society attended the programme following Covid-19 health protocol.
Family members, relatives and officials of Sikder Group, its different concerns and many other organisations laid wreaths at the grave to pay respects to Zainul Haque Sikder.
Food was distributed among the poor at Rayer Bazar on the occasion.
Special prayers were arranged at the National Bank Limited headquarters and branches, and different concerns of Sikder Group too.
A close companion of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and one of the Liberation War organisers, Zainul Haque Sikder, died on February 10 last year in Dubai.
He was 91 at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, five sons, three daughters, grandchildren and a host of relatives and well-wishers.
Zainul Haque Sikder played an important role in the economic development and progress of Bangladesh. For more than seven decades, he built numerous institutions in various sectors of the country, including banking, insurance, education, health, power, housing, hotel and aviation. He created employment for at least 20,000 people.
Besides establishing schools, colleges and hospitals, he extended help to numerous people for assuaging their poverty.
