A massive namaz-e-janaza held in Lakshmipur for the father of a local Awami League(AL) leader amid the coronavirus outbreak, defying government orders, sparked an outcry in the locality and the whole country.
Adv Noor Uddin Chowdhury, general secretary of the district AL party office, reportedly attracted a huge crowd to attend his late father Master Sultan Ahmed’s funeral prayer, with constant miking and invitations, sources say.
Later, the namaz-e-janaza attended by almost 5000 people, including district-level political leaders, activists from AL and other parties, took place at the Lillah Mosque premises after Zuhr namaz, on Tuesday afternoon.
The event not only caught the whole country by surprise but also sparked fear and concern among locals in the area.
Locals said they were caught off guard by the arrogance of the AL leaders disregarding government directives and asked the concerned authorities to investigate possible infection incidents stemming from the event that may kill thousands.
However, it is not the first time, locals say. Only weeks ago, another mass prayer event seeking God’s mercy to lessen the coronavirus impact was held in the district.
Contacted, Deputy Commissioner Anjan Chandra Pal said: "We approved permission for a small program to pay respect to the AL leader's late father."
“However, if he invited and gathered 5000 people, it’s a clear indication that he did not abide by our directives,” the DC added.
