The family members of Piash Karim neither had plans to take his body to the Central Shaheed Minar nor seeing politics over it.
“It was not the decision of our family to take his body to the Shaheed Minar,” his younger brother Zahir Karim told the Dhaka Tribune on Thursday.
The happenings centring his body are “embarrassing” for his family, who consider it as “disrespect” to the former Brac University teacher.
Zahir, a fashion designer by profession, said: “As our three sisters stay abroad, we thought they will finalise where to bury Piash.”
Now the family has decided not to take the body to Shaheed Minar.
Piash died of cardiac arrest at Square Hospital early Monday at his mid fifties.
On that day, Mahfuz Ullah, secretary general of Centre for Sustainable Development, announced on behalf of the “citizens” that the body would be taken to the Shaheed Minar on Wednesday. The date was later shifted to Friday.
Following the announcement, controversies created for and against whether the body would be taken to the Shaheed Minar for the people to pay respect. Several pro-Awami League organisations and student bodies, and other groups linked to Shahbagh movement announced protest programmes to resist the move.
Meanwhile, the BNP is set to observe mourning day today. The party flag will be hoisted at half-mast while its leaders and activities will wear black badges to mourn his death.
Uncomfortable with the developments, Piash's family now wants to bury him under own arrangement.
Piash faced serious criticisms after making negative remarks last year at several TV talk shows about the unprecedented Shahbagh movement that demands capital punishment for all war criminals.
The supporters of the movement dubbed that his comments went against the spirit of the Liberation War. Many people also raised question about the roles of Piash's father and grandfather, who had been members of Peace Committee in 1971.
Zahir said: “After his death, some of the friends and fellows came and said they wished to pay him respect. Then they proposed two things: firstly, they wanted to arrange his namaz-e-janaza at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, and then they will take his body to the Shaheed Minar.
“Considering their intention and that the burial was being delayed, our family agreed to their idea.”
As soon as controversies began to increased, “we, his family members, gave up the idea of taking the body to the Shaheed Minar,” Zahir said.
“It is an embarrassing situation for our family. It is also disrespect to Piash Karim as well. Now we want that his soul rests in peace.”
He said: “As people have been doing politics with the body, we firmly decided not to take him to the Shaheed Minar at all.
“We never thought that there can be politics over his body.”
Zahir told the Dhaka Tribune that from the mortuary of Square Hospital, the body would be taken to his residence at Dhanmondi and would be kept there for two hours.
Later the funeral prayers would take place at Baitul Mukarram and the body be buried at Banani Graveyard in the capital.
