It is a very small state by area. A country that was once in a struggle for survival has today greatly strengthened its position through vast wealth and regional and international influence. The most important role behind this success, in turning Qatar from a fight for existence into an influential state, was played by the country’s recently deceased emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the father of the current emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. He is also known in Qatar as the “Father Emir.”
Sheikh Hamad’s death was announced in a statement from the office of the emir of Qatar on Sunday. He was 74.
His funeral prayer was held without any pomp after the Maghrib prayer at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in the Qatari capital, Doha. Mourners took part in the funeral wearing Qatar’s traditional dress.
The late Sheikh Hamad’s son and the current emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, along with close family members, then carried the body out of the mosque. Sheikh Hamad was buried at the Lusail Cemetery to the north of Doha.
A visionary Sheikh Hamad. Sheikh Hamad transformed Qatar from a marginal position in the Gulf region into an important regional power in the political, diplomatic, national and humanitarian spheres. Behind this lay a visionary outlook that reshaped the country and steadily raised its standing on the world stage.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report