Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– Thousands of people from different walks of life thronged Shahbagh to take part in the namaz-e-janaza of Shahbagh activist Ahmed Rajib Haidar at ‘Projonmo Chattar’ in the capital Dhaka Saturday afternoon.

After the first namaz-e-janaza at Shahbagh which began at 5:53pm, relatives left the venue to take Haidar’s body to his residence at Pallabi for another janaza.

The protesters, who abandoned the plan to curtail the demonstration to seven hours from 3:00pm every day, maintained a solemn silence as the ambulance carrying Rajib’s body reached the venue around 5:30pm.

Maulana Syed Emdaduddin who led the prayer said he was proud to lead the namaz-e-janaza during such an auspicious moment of the country’s history.

Haidar’s body will be kept in a mortuary for the night. He would be buried at their village home in Kapasia of Gazipur on Sunday.

Heavily stabbed body of the 30-year-old blogger was found lying near his house at Pallabi in Dhaka on Friday night.

BBN/SSR/AD-16Feb13-7:25 pm (BST)