HT Imam, advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was laid to rest at Banani Graveyard in Dhaka Thursday afternoon.
He was buried at around 6 pm with state honour.
Imam breathed his last in the small hours of Thursday at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka at the age of 82.
People from all walks of life including President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid floral tributes to H T Imam after his body was taken to the Central Shaheed Minar on Thursday.
On behalf of President Abdul Hamid, his military secretary Maj Gen SM Salahuddin Islam and on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her military secretary Maj Gen Naquib Ahmed Chowdhury placed wreaths to the coffin of H T Imam at the Central Shaheed Minar.
Hossain Toufique Imam, known as H T Imam, political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, breathed his last in the early hours on Tuesday at the age of 82 at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) of Dhaka where he was being treated for various old age-related complications including kidney disease.
Sergeant Arms Commodore MM Naeem Rahman paid tributes on behalf of the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury. Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office Ahmed Kaikaus also paid tribute.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on behalf of the party, Advisory Council Member Mukul Bose, Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, Cultural Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, Deputy Secretary Sayem Khan paid their homage.
Information Minister Hasan Mahmud, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain paid homage to the coffin of HT Imam at the central Shaheed Minar.
Led by Juba League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and Chhatra League President Al Nahyan Khan Joy and General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharya, leaders and activists of the two organisations paid their respects.
After paying tribute on behalf of the Awami League its General Secretary and Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader said, H T Imam worked with Bangabandhu and later with Sheikh Hasina. He helped the government with his talent and labour. He was active till the last moment. He retired from the job but never retired from his work. The irreparable loss to the state caused by the death of such hardworking people is not easy to make up.
Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said, “I have never seen such an active and energetic man. He played a noteworthy role before 2008 to bring the party to power. Later, whenever the party falls into any crisis, he came forward to handle it. His absence is an irreplaceable loss for the state, nation, and the party also.”
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman said, “We lost an elderly political analyst. He was deeply involved in several historical events and stages. That’s why he will remain immortal in history. We lost the men who get close to Banghabadhu.”
Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said, “He was an honest, diligent, and intelligent bureaucrat I have ever seen. In any crisis moment of the nation including the struggle to restore democracy he kept a good command. He left the sign of patriotism in his every work. We mourn his death.”
HT Imam's body was taken to Ullapara Upazila in Sirajganj by a helicopter at 9.30 am. His first Namaz-e-Janaza was held at Ullapara Akbar Ali Government College ground there at 11 am.
Then his body was brought back to the capital by the same copter and kept at the Central Shaheed Minar from 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm. There people from all walks of life paid their homage and had a last glimpse on H T Imam.
From the Shaheed Minar, the body was taken to Gulshan Azad Masjid where the second Namaz-e-Janaza of HT Imam was held after Asr prayers.
H T Imam was serving as the political affairs adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since 2014. He was born in 1939. He completed his undergraduation in Economics from Rajshahi University and also graduation degree in Economics from Dhaka University. Later, he obtained his postgraduate degree from the London School of Economics in development administration.
HT Imam joined the then Pakistan Civil service in 1962 and served the Mujibnagar government as the cabinet secretary during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.
