The deceased writer Humayun Ahmed’s second wife Meher Afroz Shaon entreats children with Humayun’s first wife not to leave the spot when they tried to keep off Shaon’s presence at the coffin during his burial in Nuhash Palli in Gazipur on Tuesday. — Sony Ramany

Celebrated writer Humayun Ahmed was laid to rest under a litchi tree at Nuhash Palli in Gazipur on Tuesday with thousands of mourners watching the funeral in tears in heavy rain.
Amid prayer hymns, Humayun’s body was lowered into the grave at around 2:00pm, after the third namaz-e-janaza at Nuhash Palli in village Pirujali, the favourite retreat of the writer.
His son Nuhash Ahmed led the people lowering the body. He stood silent in tears beside the grave after the burial was over.
Thousands of mourners irrespective to caste, creed and class, especially villagers from surrounding areas thronged Nuhash Palli after coming to know that it had been decided that the writer would be buried there after overnight parleys among his successors over selection of the burial place.  
Many admirers also joined the funeral from Dhaka causing a tailback on the narrow road stretch between Hotapara and Pirujali all day.
Mourners filed past the casket and paid their last respect after it reached Nuhash Palli as security personnel struggled to manage the crowd.
Before the janaza, Humayun’s second wife Meher Afroz Shaon, sons Nuhash, Nishad and Ninith, daughters Nova Ahmed and Sheela Ahmed stood beside the coffin to say goodbye to him.
All burst into tears as the coffin was uncovered. There were whispers among Humayun’s successors as Shaon approached Nova and Sheela with her hands folded together posturing that she was offering an apology.
Afterwards, the imam of a local mosque, Mojibur Rahman, led the funeral prayers after Nuhash offered apologies to all on behalf of his father.
Local lawmaker AKM Mozammel and senior officials of the Gazipur district administration also attended the janaza.
On completion of all the rituals, Humayun’s brothers Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and Ahsan Habib and children Nuhash, Nova and Sheela appeared before media.  Zafar Iqbal said all the complications over the burial ended at Nuhash Palli.
‘My brother loved rain. It had rained during the funeral in New York and it rained when the body was lowered into the grave today,’ he said in an emotion-choked voice.
Humayun’s wife Shaon also thanked all for their help in completing the rituals. She vowed she would implement everything that Humayun had dreamt of, such as establishing a cancer hospital or an institution like Shanti Niketan. ‘He wished to build Nuhash Palli into an institution to be run by a trust. Please pray for us so that we all can make his dream come true as we fulfilled his last wishes by consensus in the family,’ she said.
Earlier in the morning, Humayun’s father-in-law Mohammad Ali received the casket from BIRDEM mortuary, where Humayun’s body was kept after a second namaz-e-janaza on Monday. The family then headed for Gazipur in a motorcade with police escort. Humyun’s brothers and children from his first wife joined the motorcade at Uttara.
Humayun died on July 19 at a New York hospital after battling with cancer for about ten months. His first janaza was held in the United States followed by the one held at Jatiya Eidgah on Monday.
Row over the burial site saw division among his family members. Shaon claimed Humayun’s last wish was to be buried at Nuhash Palli while the writer’s three children from his first wife wanted their father to be buried at a place in Dhaka easily accessible to all.
Zafar Iqbal informed the media about the decision of burying his brother at Nuhash Palli at 2:30 am Tuesday saying they did not want Humayun’s burial to get delayed anymore.