Chowdhury's body flown to Farakka

Kolkata/Malda, Apr 15: Body of veteran Congress leader and former Railway Minister A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury is being taken to his hometown Malda where his last rites will be performed in Kotwali.

One of the most colourful and charismatic Congress leaders of the country, Mr Chowdhury died at a city nursing home yesterday after protracted illness. He was 79.

A bachelor, Khan Chowdhury is survived by his brother and a sister. Both of them are Congress legislators in the state Assembly from Malda district.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi flew to the city today to pay her last respects to the veteran leader.

Ms Gandhi mourned the death of former Railway Minister Ghani Khan Chowdhury describing him as a distinguished political leader.

''In the sad demise of Ghani Khan Chowdhury, the nation and the state of Bengal has lost one of its senior most and distinguished political leaders,'' Mrs Gandhi said in a condolence message.

The body is being flown to Farakka Helipad, where it is due to reach at about 1100 hours. Thousands of people have already reached Farakka to pay their last respects to the leader.

Form there the body will be taken in a procession to Malda town.

Though Malda is just 22 kms away, the convoy is expected to take more than three hours to reach there as the procession will pass though Kaliachowk and Sujapur which have been Mr Chowdhury's constinuency.

People have lined up along the road in large numbers to pay their respects.

After reaching Malda town, the body will be kept at the town hall where people will be allowed to have the last glimpse of their beloved leader.

In the afternoon his last rites will be completed at Kotwali at Chowdhury's family burial ground where his father and mother's bodies have been laid in peace.

UNI