More than 1,000 people gathered in Bangladesh's capital on Saturday to remember an 8-year-old Bangladeshi boy who was killed in one of the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka.
They raised their hands seeking blessings for Zayan Chowdhury while many of his relatives cried at a prayer session in Dhaka.
Zayan was with his father having breakfast at a hotel restaurant when it came under attack. His father was critically injured in the explosion and is being treated abroad. His mother and younger brother were safe as they were in the hotel room during the attack.
The boy, who was vacationing with his family, was the grandson of a top ruling Awami League party leader and former Cabinet minister who is a cousin of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Zayan was buried Wednesday in Dhaka after his body was flown back home.
Zayan's grandfather Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim was joined Saturday by Hasina's advisers and several Cabinet members as an imam led the prayer at a playground in Dhaka's Banani area. Selim shared fond memories with Zayan, his voice choking several times.
He condemned extremism and said his grandson was a victim of the mindless campaign of violence that rocked Sri Lanka.
"Please pray for my Zayan," he said.
As the imam recited holy verses from the Quran, the gatherers said "amen" loudly, seeking blessings.
"Allah, Zayan is the victim of cruelty, he has died as a martyr. Please save Bangladesh and the rest of the world from the extremists who campaign for violence," the imam announced through loudspeakers.
"Please help our honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina so that she can crush the extremists," he said.
More than 250 people died in six separate attacks by suicide bombers on Easter Sunday.
Bangladesh has been hit by militants in recent years. Following the Sri Lanka attacks, Hasina urged Bangladeshis to stay alert.
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