Arafat Rahman Koko: At a Glance

Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of late President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, passed away in Malaysia on Saturday. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan said Arafat Rahman Koko died of cardiac arrest on the way to University Malaya hospital. He suffered a heart attack at around 12:30pm local time. He was only 45. Apart from his mother and elder brother, Arafat Rahman is survived by wife Sharmila Rahman and two daughters - Zahia Rahman and Jaifa Rahman.
Arafat Rahman Koko was born at Comilla Cantonment on 12 August, 1970. His mother Khaleda Zia last met her two sons together in July, 2011 in Singapore when she went there for treatment. Khaleda Zia got dumbfounded and then burst into tears when wife of her elder brother Sayed Iskander and mother in law of Arafat Rahman Koko, Nasrin Sayed Iskandar and Kaniz Fatema, wife of her younger brother Shamim Iskander, conveyed to her the death news at her Gulshan office around 2:30 pm on Saturday.
Arafat Rahman’s first Namaj-e-Janaza was held at Malaysia’s National Mosque after Zuhr prayers on Sunday. His elder brother Tarek Rahman couldn’t see the dead body of his younger brother as he took part in an absentia Namaj-e-Janaza prayer for his late younger brother in London
After seven long years, Arafat Rahman Koko has come back as a dead man at the Shahjalal International Airport at 11:30 am. His dead body was first taken to the Gulshan office of BNP Chairperson. Former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia burst into tears after seeing her youngest son’s dead body. During that time some relatives and close aides were present. The second Namaj-e-Janaza of Arafat Rahman Koko was held in front of the national mosque Baitul Mukarram in the city after Asr prayer. Thousands of people from all walks of life and scores of BNP leaders and activists attended his namaz-e-janaza. Later, the dead body of Arafat Rahman Koko, youngest son of late president Ziaur Rhaman and former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, was buried at the Banani Graveyard in the capital on Tuesday evening.
Arafat Rahman Koko was arrested along with his mother Khaleda Zia on September 3, 2007, months after the army-backed caretaker government came to power. Arafat was convicted in a money-laundering case by the Caretaker government in 2007. He was sentenced to six years in prison and fined Tk 388.3 million for laundering money to Singapore between 2004 and 2006. In the case, the ACC pinpoints Koko’s dealings with China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd for constructing the New Mooring Container Terminal and with Siemens for supplying and setting up equipment for Teletalk mobile phone company. On July 17, 2008 he was released on parole to pave the way for his departure for Bangkok. Later he went to Malaysia for taking medical treatment. Since then he was staying there.
The youngest son of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, Arafat Rahman Koko rarely showed interest to join politics, though his elder brother Tarek Rahman was involved in party politics. Koko was a big fan of cricket. As the son of the then Prime Minister, he had the chance to use the highest authority to develop Bangladesh cricket. He maximized that opportunity as an advisor of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) from 2002 to 2005. He was also the Chairman of the development committee of BCB. He had personal relationships with Cricket Australia authority. And he used that relationship to bring Aussie coaches for all age group teams of Bangladesh cricket. After the failure of the 2003 ICC World Cup, Arafat Rahman Koko brought Dev Whatmore as the coach of Bangladesh Cricket Team. He planned for the long time development of Bangladesh Cricket and advised to develop a game development programme for BCB. Today’s star performers like Sakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal have all come through that development programme.
While talking to us Khondoker Jamil Uddin, former director of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) couldn’t control his emotion. He says, “I was a simple businessman. It is Arafat Rahman Koko who brought me into the Cricket arena. He said, ‘Jamil vai, being a businessman you have a responsibility to contribute to the nation.’ Immediately after the conclusion of 2003 ICC World Cup, he was frustrated by the performance of our tigers. Then he is the person who gave time to Bangladesh cricket avoiding his family business. He developed six stadiums throughout the country, including Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium- Home of Cricket. Our players couldn’t play or practice during the rainy season. He developed the indoor facilities for our cricketers so that they can practice in the rainy season. Arafat Rahman Koko’s name will remain written in golden letters in Bangladesh cricket history.”
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is deeply saddened at the death of its former member of the Board’s advisory committee Arafat Rahman. Arafat, an ardent cricket fan, was the former chairman of Old DOHS Cricket Club. Old DOHS became champions twice during his term and now the team has been relegated to first division this season. Arafat Rahman also established and patronized a new cricket team City Club.
Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association, Bangladesh Sports Press Association, Bangladesh Sports Journalists Community, Gopibagh Friends Association and Bangladesh Online Sports Journalists Association also mourned the death of Arafat Rahman. May the Almighty keep his departed soul in peace.