The first namaz-e-janaza of country’s veteran lawyer and constitution expert Dr M Zahir was held on the Supreme Court premises in the city on Friday afternoon.Acting Chief Justice SK Sinha, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed, BNP standing committee members Barrister Moudud Ahmed and Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, Environment and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, State Minister for Law Advocate Quamrul Islam, former Chief Justice KM Hasan and ABM Khairul Haque, Dr Kamal Hossain, Barrister Amir-ul Islam, and incumbent High Court and Appellate Division judges, among others, attended the janaza held at about 3pm.
Earlier, the body of Dr Zahir, who died at a Bangkok hospital on Thursday at the age of 74, was brought back home in the afternoon.
A flight of Thai Airways carrying the body of Dr Zahir landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 12:15pm, said Moshtaque Ahmed Chowdhury, an assistant lawyer of Dr Zahir.
The body was taken to the Supreme Court from where it was taken to his Dhanmondi residence after the first janaza.
His 2nd janaza was to be held at Dhanmondi’s Baitul Aman Jam-e Masjid after Asr prayers. Later, he will be buried at Banani Graveyard, Mostaque said.
Dr Zahir was flown to Bangkok on June 27 as he had long been suffering from cancer.
Dr Zahir started his legal profession at a Dhaka court in 1962 on completion of his BA (Hons), MA in English literature and LLB from Dhaka University. Later, he obtained LLM degree from the University of London in 1964 and PhD on company law from the same university in 1966.
He had taught company law at Dhaka University for 20 years. Zahir got enlisted as a senior advocate of the Supreme Court in 1978. He also authored some books on legal profession and his experience.
Dr Zahir was elected a member of the Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. -: UNB
