Captain of Swadhin Bangla Football team Zakaria Pintoo laid to rest

Zakaria Pinto.

Dhaka, Nov 18 - Zakaria Pintu, captain of the Swadhin Bangla Football team has been buried at the Shaheed Intellectuals' graveyard, Mirpur on Tuesday after the Namaz e Janaza at the National Press Club.

The Namaz e Janaza at the National Press Club was attended by political leaders, leaders of the journalist community, and members of all strata of the society. 

Captain of the Swadhin Bangla Football team,  former vice- president of Bangladeshi Football Federation (BFF) and freedom fighter M Zakaria Pintoo passed away on  Monday noon at a local hospital. He was 81.

He left behind one son,  three daughters and a large number of relatives, friends and  admirers to mourn his death.

Zakaria Pintoo, also a member of Jatiya Press Club, was admitted to the Ibne Sina Hospital in the capital Sunday afternoon as he was feeling very sick after suddenly fell down at his residence. 

Later, he was shifted to the ICU of the hospital Sunday evening as his condition became critical and deteriorated.  Finally he took his last breath there at about 11:45 am on Monday.

Pintoo, a renowned defender cum captain of Dhaka Mohammedan SC,  made his first international appearance as the Bangladesh captain in the Merdeka Cup Football Tournament in Malaysia in 1973.

During the Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971, Pintoo led the Swadhin Bangla Football team, which played a good number of exhibition matches in India to raise funds for the country' s freedom fighters.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan condoled the death of the proud son of the soil.

BFF president Tabith Awal, Sr VP, VPs and executive committee members also condole the death of Zakaria Pintoo. 

Jatiya Press Club president Hasan Hafiz and general secretary Ayub Bhuiyan in  joint statement to the press paid profound respect to the late footballer and prayed for the salvation of his soul. - GreenWatch News Desk