Shawdesh dEsk:

The first namaz-e-janaza of HT Imam, the lifelong bureaucrat-turned-advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has been held.

The janaza took place at Akbar Ali Government College ground in Ullapara of Sirajganj district around 12 noon on Thursday.

His will brought back to Dhaka by a helicopter and will be kept at Central Shaheed Minar from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm for people of all walks of life to pay their last tributes to him.

According to the burial plan, from the Shaheed Minar, the body will be taken to Gulshan Azad Masjid where the second namaz-e-janaza of HT Imam will be held after Asr prayers.

Later, the Dhaka district administration will offer guard of honor to the Prime Minister’s political affairs adviser at the Banani graveyard before his burial.

HT Imam breathed his last in the small hours of Thursday at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka. He was 82.

Imam had been suffering from kidney-related complications and was admitted to the CMH some two weeks ago.

Imam served as the cabinet secretary in the Mujibnagar government, and then also in the post-independence government of Bangladesh.

During his long and distinguished career in the bureaucracy, he also served as secretary in the Ministry of Communications, as well as the Planning Division.

Imam served as an adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since Awami League’s victory in the December, 2008 general election. First, from 2009-2014 as an adviser on public administration affairs, and then from 2014 on political affairs.

He also took on roles within the Awami League, chairing or co-chairing committees on publicity affairs and elections, and becoming a member of the AL advisory council.