Funeral held for Bangladeshi Islamist party guru amid protests

The funeral prayer of Ghulam Azam, considered ideological guru of Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party, was held in capital Dhaka on Saturday afternoon amid protests over taking the body of the convicted “war crime mastermind” to the national mosque.

Tens of thousands of leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat- e-Islami party have joined the funeral prayer, reports Xinhua.

Azam was later buried beside his father’s grave at their family graveyard in the capital city as per his last wish.

Earlier in the day, an alliance of several Islamic parties and groups of youths imbued with Bangladesh liberation war ethos and spirit, however, protested the move to hold Azam’s funeral prayer at the national mosque.

Police resisted activists of the alliance and groups as they marched towards Baitul Mokaram in procession protesting the janaza at the national mosque.

At least two crude bombs were exploded in front of the national mosque where the body of Azam has been brought for the funeral prayer.