Bangladesh president's body flown from Singapore

SINGAPORE (AFP) - The body of Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman was flown to Dhaka on Thursday following his death in a Singapore hospital, national airline Biman said.

Mr Rahman, 84, a veteran politician from the ruling Awami League party who was named to the largely ceremonial post in 2009, died on Wednesday at a private hospital in Singapore.

A special flight carrying the leader's remains left Singapore shortly before 10am, said Mr Mohammad Arif Ullah, Biman's country manager for Singapore.

Mr Rahman's family members and aides were also on board the Boeing 737-800 plane, which was expected to land at 11:50am local time in Dhaka, he told AFP.