The second Qulkhawani and Dua Mahfil for Zainul Haque Sikder, a valiant freedom fighter, philanthropist and leading industrialist of the country, was held at his village home at Madhupur under Shariatpur district on Wednesday.
Thousands of people, including his family members, friends, well-wishers, freedom fighters, political leaders and activists, businessmen and employees of different entities under the Sikder Group joined the prayer session held on the premises of ZH Sikder University of Science and Technology.
The attendees prayed for the salvation of the departed soul.
Earlier on Tuesday, the first 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 at Rayerbazar.
Apart from the deceased’s family members, including his wife Monowara Sikder, sons Rick Haque Sikder and Ron Haque Sikder, Parliament Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, lawmakers Matia Chowdhury, Md Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Eng Mosharraf Hossain, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Aslamul Haque, Hasanul Haq Inu, Ali Azam and Md Sadek Khan joined the Qulkhawani.
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 February 14.
The first Namaz-e-Janaza for him was held on February 13 at the ZH Sikder Women’s Medical College at Rayerbazar with participation of thousands of people. The second Namaz-e-Janaza was held on February 14 at his village home. He was given a guard of honour by the state at both the Janaza for his role in the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
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 educational institutions, medical facilities and business ventures in the fields of education, health, housing and tourism, and employed about 20,000 people in the last seven decades.
Zainul Haque Sikder founded ZH Sikder University of Science and Technology in 2012 at his village home to spread education in the backward area.
Besides, he extended support to efforts for poverty reduction and welfare of the underprivileged and marginal people of society.
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.
