14-party runner's Nurul Islam moved to CMH, son dies in fire ....................

Ganotontree Party president Nurul Islam, who suffered critical burns injuries and whose son Tamohar Islam, 36, died after a fire broke out early on Wednesday at his Lalmatia home, has been moved to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka Cantonment, police said.

His party has called for suspension of vote in the Noakhali-1 constituency and an investigation into the incident.

Islam, also chairman of Trade Union Kendro, got nomination from the Awami League-led 14-party alliance to run the polls from Noakhali-1 constituency.

Md Kamruzzaman, sub-inspector at Mohammadpur Police Station, told ua that the fire broke out in their fourth-floor flat at around 3am.

Islam's wife poet Ruby Rahman is in the United States and is due to return home on Dec. 9.

"After I was nominated, unidentified Islamist militants had been intimidating me and my son over telephone, asking me not to contest the polls," Islam said to reporters at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

"Islam was being intimidated by outsiders for quite sometime. We demand that the government take steps to initiate an enquiry into the fire incident that occured early Wednesday," Ganotontree Party president Azizul Islam Khan said to reporters at noon.

"Simultaneously, we urge the government to halt the upcoming parliamentary polls at Noakhali-1 seat," he said.

Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesher Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, BNP joint secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan and other political leaders visited the Islam at DMCH.

"Islam had made it known some days back that he was receiving threats over telephone. So, the fire incident should be looked into in-depth," Menon said to reporters.

"To my knowledge, Nurul Islam has no personal enemy, but his ideals may have created enemies."

There was none else in the house during the incident. Islam's wife poet Ruby Rahman is in the United States and due to return home on Dec 9.

SI Kamruzzaman also said quoting Hasibul Hasan, a BBA student and resident of the flat above Islam's, at around 3am Hasib and two of his friends were busy with their computer when they heard something fall downstairs with a thud.

Investigating, they found smoke billowing out of one of their windows too, heard someone yelling downstairs, "Fire! Please save us!"

The three friends rushed downstairs, broke open the entrance to the flat, rescued seriously injured Islam and sent him to DMCH. The firefighters also arrived soon after.

Hasan said the firefighters and local people doused the fire and discovered the body of Tamohar from the living room.

The police officer said the drawing-cum-dining room looked totally ravaged. The electric fan, TV set, refrigerator and other gadgets were destroyed.

The refrigerator's compressor might have exploded following the fire that broke out from electrical short-circuit, he said quoting the firemen.

Islam in 1991 ran the general election from Noakhali-1 as an eight-party alliance candidate and marginally lost to the BNP-led four-party alliance contestant.

Golam Quddus, general secretary of Sammilito Sanskritik Jote had initially got Awami League's nomination this year for Noakhali-1 seat.

Following the final negotiations over seat sharing by the allies, the 'grand alliance' finally agreed to nominate Islam to run from Noakhali-1, Ganotontree Party leaders said.

Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon, BNP chief Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman's lawyer, has got the four-party alliance ticket to contest the election from the same seat.

Nurul Islam succumbs to injuries at CMH........

Ganotontree Party president Nurul Islam, who sustained critical burns in a fire at his home, died at the Dhaka Combined Miltary Hospital on Thursday.

He died at around 4:35pm, relative Mostofa Kamal Pasha told us .

Sixty-eight year old Islam, who also lost son Tamohar Islam, 36, to a fire that broke out early on Wednesday at his Lalmatia home, had suffered kidney failure earlier Thursday.

Islam's condition had remained critical since he was transferred to the CMH Wednesday noon.

Love, respects pour on Nurul Islam................

People including political leaders and activists are paying their last respects by showering flowers on the coffin of Ganotontree Party president Nurul Islam at the Central Shaheed Minar on Friday.

Islam's coffin was brought to the Minar from Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 11:45am.

A stupefied Ruby Rahman, Islam's wife, stood by the coffin. She lost both her husband and only son while she had been away in the US.

Islam, president of Bangladesh Trade Union Kendro, died on Thursday at the Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka from fatal burn wounds.

A grand alliance nominee to contest the forthcoming polls from Noakhali-1, he had sustained serious burn injuries in a fire at his Lalmatia flat early Wednesday morning.

First admitted to DMCH, he was transferred to the CMH. His son Tamohar Islam, 36, died in the accident.

Islam's first namaj-e-janaza will be held at Dhaka University central mosque after the juma prayers. The second janaza will then be held at Hazaribagh Leather Technology College ground.

He will be buried at Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard at Mirpur in the afternoon.

Leaders and workers of Awami League, BNP, Communist Party, Workers Party and other organisations assembled at the Shaheed Minar and paid their last respects to the dead.

The Ganotontree Party flag was flying at half mast beside the national flag and a black flag.

Awami League presidium members Abdur Razzak, Motia Chowdhury, BNP's joint secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan and Mahbubul Alam Tara, Ganoforum president Dr Kamal Hossain, Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, Dhaka University vice chancellor SMA Fayez, former VC AK Azad Chowdhury and others were present at the Shaheed Minar.

Earlier, as the coffin arrived at the Minar, a smart contingent of policemen gave the deceased a guard of honour, while 25 freedom fighters saluted the coffin of the valiant freedom fighter.

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