President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday paid his last respects to South Africa’s first black President and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela along with other heads of state and government. “Honourable President paid his last homage to the legendary leader standing in solemn silence in front of the flag-draped casket of Nelson Mandela today (Wednesday),” President’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told UNB from South Africa over phone. President Abdul Hamid had a glimpse of Mandela through a glass pane on the coffin at the Union Buildings in South Africa’s capital Pretoria where the towering leader was sworn in 19 years ago as South Africa’s first black president. Earlier on Tuesday, the President attended the memorial service for Nelson Mandela at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg with other heads of state and government. Mandela’s body will lie at the Union Buildings for three days from Wednesday (Dec 11), ahead of his eventual burial on December 15 in his boyhood hometown of Qunu. President Hamid is scheduled to leave South Africa tonight and reach Dhaka on Thursday morning. – UNB
