Bogura: The grand finale of a Hifzul Quran competition was held in the district seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of BNP founder and Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, late Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, their youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko, and other deceased members of the Zia family. The event concluded at the Zia Orphanage Trust ground in the Darail area of Gabtoli upazila, where prizes were distributed among the winners, followed by a doa and iftar mahfil.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the event was organized by the Arafat Rahman Koko Sports Academy under the supervision of Bogura district BNP leader and former mayor of Gabtoli Municipality Md Saiful Islam. Internationally acclaimed Qari Zahirul Islam attended as the chief judge. Mufti Ataullah Nizami, Assistant Director of Jamil Madrasah, served as the chief adviser, while Abdur Rahim Pintu, general secretary of Gabtoli Municipal BNP, acted as the chief coordinator.
Presided over by organizer and former mayor Md Saiful Islam, the event was attended by Mufti Muhammadullah Pratik, BNP leaders Tarikul Islam, Abdul Gafur, Abu Hasnat Shaheen, Tajul Islam, Anwar Hossain, and Nasir Uddin Bulbul, among others. The competition began on February 16, with around 700 students from different madrasahs participating in the preliminary round. Of these, 200 participants qualified for the grand finale, and 75 winners were awarded prizes across five groups.
Earlier in the day, students from various madrasahs of the district registered for the programme. Md Saiful Islam, speaking on the occasion, mentioned that the event was organized for the second time to seek eternal peace for the departed members of the Zia family. He shared that the competition would continue in the future to inspire madrasah students from remote areas and promote the teachings of the Holy Quran. An iftar mahfil was later held with the participation of around 8,000 people.