The second death anniversary of Zainul Haque Sikder, a heroic freedom fighter, renowned philanthropist and founding chairman of Sikder Group, was observed on Friday with due solemnity.
Milad and Dua Mahfil (special prayer session) and recitation from the Holy Quran were held at his mausoleum on the Zainul Haque Sikder Medical College campus at Rayer Bazar in the capital in observance of the day.
People poured in to pay homage to the late freedom fighter. Family members, relatives and officials of Sikder Group, its different concerns, many other organisations and dignitaries laid wreaths at the mausoleum to pay respects to Zainul Haque Sikder.
Chairman of R&R Holdings Limited, R&R Aviation Limited and PowerPack Holdings Limited, and Director of National Bank Rick Haque Sikder, Managing Director of R&R Holdings Limited, R&R Aviation Limited and PowerPack Holdings Limited, and Director of National Bank Ron Haque Sikder, Chairperson of executive committee of National Bank Parveen Haque Sikder, MP, other family members, Dhaka Mohanagar Uttara Awami League Vice President Alhaj Sadek Khan, MP, Chairman of NRB Bank Ltd Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman (Nasir) and other dignitaries were present at the Milad and Dua Mahfil.
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 in 2021 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
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 to mourn his death.
Zainul Haque Sikder was born on 12 August 1930 in Assam, India. He moved to the erstwhile East Bengal (now Bangladesh) with his family after the partition in 1947.
He played an important role in the economic development and progress of Bangladesh. In his business career spanning over seven decades, he built numerous businesses and institutions in various sectors of the country, including banking, insurance, education, health, power, housing, hotel and aviation creating employment for at least 20,000 people.
Zainul Haque Sikder was the chairman of National Bank Limited. The other businesses and institutions he established include Sikder Real Estate Ltd, ZH Sikder Womens Medical College & Hospital, ZH Sikder University of Science and Technology, Monowara Sikder Medical College & Hospital, Sikder Insurance, and PowerPac Economic Zone.
The group has several business ventures outside the country too.
Apart from creating businesses and employment, Zainul Haque Sikder is well known as a philanthropist. Besides establishing schools, colleges and hospitals, he helped numerous people to alleviate poverty.
