Hasina pays rich tribute to Jyoti Basu
'Bangladesh lost a great friend'

KOLKATA, Jan 19 (UNB): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with a number of top Bangladesh leaders paid glowing tributes to veteran Marxist and longest-serving Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu at high-profile state funeral at Bidhansabha Bhaban Tuesday.

Indian ruling Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani were among the dignitaries who joined thousands of mourners to bid farewell to the legendary left politician.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister and her entourage paid their last homage to Jyoti Basu placing wreathes as his body lay in state at the Bengal Legislative House (Bidhansabha Bhaban).

Earlier at 7:30 am (local time) the leftist legend's body was taken out from Peace Haven in Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, where the body was kept after Basu died on January 17, for the last rides on a hearse draped in white flowers and red flags of his party CPI (M).

Then, with hundreds of people standing on two sides of the streets, Jyoti Basu's hearse led by a pilot car of the Kolkata Police was driven to Bidhansabha Bhaban.

After the tribute-paying ceremonies, the great politician's body was taken to the CPI (M) party headquarters in Alimuddin Street area. Thousands of party colleagues, supporters and well-wishers thronged the party office to show their respects to their departing comrade.

Jyoti Basu's mortal remains were kept at the Alimuddin Street for five hours. Then, with gun salute at Mohorkunja, previously known as Citizen's Park, the body was handed over to the state-run SSKM Hospital, as per last wish of the ever-memorable politician.

The nonagenarian CPI (M) patriarch passed away at AMRI Hospital here at 11:47am Sunday. The 96-year-old had multiple organ failures and had been hospitalised since January 1, owing to a reported acute respiratory failure.

Hasina also signed the condolence book in which she wrote: "Bangladesh and its people are profoundly shocked at the death of Jyoti Basu. He was not only a great politician of India but also the real friend of Bangladesh. We have lost a great friend."

Hasina in her writing also recalled great contribution of Jyoti Basu during the 1971 liberation war when one-crore (10 million) Bengalis took shelter in West Bengal due to killings and raping by the Pakistani forces and their local collaborators.