The Bangladeshi community in Canada will pay their final respects on Wednesday to pilot Saifuzzaman and industrialist Abdullah Hil Rakib, who died in a boating accident in Canada.
According to a Bangladeshi expatriate journalist in Toronto, the community has decided to hold the funeral prayers (Namaz-e-Janaza) for the deceased at the Sunnatul Jamaat of Ontario after Asr prayers at 7:30pm local time on Wednesday. Prior to this, from 6:30pm onwards, people from all walks of life will pay their last respects.
Expatriates shared that Saifuzzaman, a pilot for Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ Boeing 787, is survived by his wife and two daughters. Abdullah Hil Rakib, an industrialist and former leader of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), leaves behind his wife, a son, and a daughter.
The tragic incident occurred on Sunday (local time) when Saifuzzaman and Rakib, along with their families, visited the shores of Kawartha Lake, about 155 kilometres from Toronto. Saifuzzaman, his son, and Rakib went boating in a small dinghy when strong winds capsized the vessel. While the son managed to swim ashore around 3 PM, the other two drowned. Police and rescue teams later recovered their bodies.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines issued a condolence message stating that, as per the family’s wishes, arrangements are being made through the Bangladesh High Commission in Canada to repatriate Saifuzzaman’s remains to Bangladesh as soon as possible.