The 11th death anniversary of Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam and former BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, is today. File Photo.

DHAKA, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS) - The 11th death anniversary of Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam and former BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, is today.

Arafat Rahman Koko, a noted sports organiser and younger brother of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, passed away on January 24, 2015 in Malaysia. 

His body was later brought back to Bangladesh and buried at Banani Graveyard in the capital.

To mark the occasion, BNP leaders and activists, alongside family members, offered special prayers and paid tributes to Arafat Rahman Koko. 

Senior BNP leaders visited his grave at Banani, offered fateha and placed wreaths.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, along with central and metropolitan leaders, paid homage at the grave. 

Dhaka North city unit BNP Convener Aminul Haque and leaders and activists of the party's associate bodies were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said that Arafat Rahman Koko's death resulted from physical and mental torture during the one-eleven period and the subsequent Awami League government.

Various programmes including Khatam-e-Quran were organised to observe the death anniversary at Banani Graveyard from the morning. 

Milad and Doa Mahfils were also held at BNP's central office at Naya Paltan here, while another doa programme was scheduled for the afternoon at the BNP Chairman's Gulshan office.

During the caretaker government period following one-eleven, Arafat Rahman Koko was arrested on September 3, 2007 along with his mother Begum Khaleda Zia from their residence on Mainul Road inside Dhaka Cantonment. 

He was released on bail on July 17, 2008. Later, he went to Thailand for medical treatment. From there, he moved to Malaysia where he remained until his death.

Born on August 12, 1969, Arafat Rahman Koko served as a member of the Bangladesh Cricket Board advisory council from 2003 to 2005 and was also chairman of the Old DOHS Club.

On 24 January 2015, he died due to cardiac arrest in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the age of 45. 

His body was brought back to Bangladesh two days later. 

Following a massive namaz-e-janaza attended by a large number of mourners on January 27, he was laid to rest at Banani Graveyard. 
The janaza is considered one of the largest in the country's history.