Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid on Saturday expressed deep grief over the untimely demise of Harun Rashid, the brother of President's press secretary Zainal Abedin. The President prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family. Rashid passed away this morning at a hospital in the capital. He was 63 years old. He is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter. Read: President mourns death of journalist Toab Khan

British sports were holding a day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, with high-profile golf, cricket and horse racing events canceled Friday as a mark of respect and the Premier League meeting to discuss whether to call off games scheduled for the weekend. The BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event on the European tour, was paused near the end of the first round Thursday following the announcement of the queen's death — there were still 30 players out on the course — and there will be no play Friday. “We remain hopeful of restarting at some stage over the weekend,” the tour said Friday in a statement, adding that it would be reviewing “protocol guidance from Buckingham Palace” while also aligning with the decisions made by other sporting events in Britain. The England and Wales Cricket Board has already announced that there would be no play on Friday in the third and deciding test between England and South Africa at the Oval. There was no update on whether play would be resuming over the weekend. Other events called off included the third day of horse racing's St. Leger festival in Doncaster — horse racing was the queen's favorite sport — and cycling's Tour of Britain, which also canceled the final two stages of the race scheduled for the weekend. Read: Bangladesh declares 3 days of mourning for Queen Soccer matches in the English Football League — the three leagues below the Premier League — and in the Scottish lower league will not be played Friday and matches scheduled to be played in Northern Ireland over the weekend were also canceled. The Premier League had not yet decided its position, with a meeting being held between the clubs on Friday morning. Factors involved in any decision were likely to include whether holding matches would use up police resources, the desire of broadcasters and the mood of the public. There is little room in the schedule of this World Cup-affected season to fit in postponed fixtures.    

Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, was a true friend of Bangladesh, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said Thursday. Abe will forever be remembered for his contribution to regional and global peace, he added. Momen was speaking at a condolence programme organised by the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh and Dhaka University (DU). The Department of Japanese Studies of DU and the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka in association with the Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japanese Universities Alumni Association of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Ikebana Association and Kazuko Bhuiyan Welfare Trust arranged the condolence programme "Tribute to Abe Shinzo" in Dhaka. Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman, vice-chancellor of DU, and Japanese Ambassador to Bangladeshi Ito Naoki also joined the event to pay tribute to Abe, Japan's best-known politician and longest-serving prime minister, who was gunned down while speaking at a political campaign event in the city of Nara. They conveyed their condolences to Abe and his family. Also read: Japan police chief to resign over Abe shooting death  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday expressed shock and deep grief at the death of Paola Maino, mother of Indian National Congress President Sonia Gandhi. She also prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and extended her heartfelt sympathy to Sonia Gandhi and her family. "I can relate that the passing away of parents leaves a permanent vacuum in our hearts which can never be filled by anyone else. Despite these tragedies on our paths, our lives must continue," Sheikh Hasina said in a signed letter sent to Sonia Gandhi. "It is my firm belief that the values, affection, love, and legacy taught and left behind by Madam Maino will be a source of inspiration and strength for you and your family members and will take you all forward in the coming days." Also read: PM mourns death of freedom fighter Shawkat Ali