The funeral prayers for Captain Md Saifuzzaman (Guddu), pilot of Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ Boeing 787, and former BGMEA vice president Abdullah Hil Rakib was held in the city on Saturday.
Rakib’s first namaz-e-janaza was held at 11:00am in front of the BGMEA building, followed by a second janaza after Zohr prayers at Banani DOHS field. Captain Saifuzzaman’s janaza was held in two phases — one at 11:00am at the northern mosque of BAF Shaheen College and the other at DOHS field after Zohr prayers.
They were later buried at BAF Shaheen Graveyard, days after they drowned in a tragic boating accident in Ontario, Canada.
Earlier, the flight carrying their remains landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 9:00pm. Family members, colleagues, and well-wishers gathered at the airport in silence to receive them. Grief was palpable as ambulances emerged from Gate 8 — first carrying Rakib’s body toward his Banani residence, followed shortly by a military ambulance taking Saifuzzaman’s remains to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka.
The tragic accident took place June 8 near Kawartha Lake, some 155 kilometres from Toronto, where the two were vacationing with their families. At around 3:00pm, Saifuzzaman, Rakib, and Rakib’s son ventured into the water in a canoe, which capsized in strong winds. Rakib’s son managed to swim ashore, but both adults drowned. Their bodies were later recovered by Ontario’s police and other rescue units.
Saifuzzaman is survived by his wife and two daughters, while Rakib leaves behind a wife, a son, and a daughter. Prior to their post-humous repatriation, funeral prayers were held in their honour on Wednesday at Sunnatul Jamaat of Ontario, attended by hundreds from the local expatriate community.
At HSIA, colleagues from Biman wore black badges in a show of mourning. In separate condolence messages, Biman Bangladesh Airlines and BGMEA paid tribute to the lives and contributions of the two men.