Tofail Ahmed, veteran politician and Liberation War organiser, dies
The 82-year-old had been receiving treatment since 27 September last year.
Senior Awami League leader and nine-times MP Tofail Ahmed passed away at 3:30pm today (1 June) while undergoing treatment at Square Hospital.
He was 82 years old.
According to a statement issued by the hospital authorities, Ahmed had been suffering from various age-related health complications for some time. He was admitted to the hospital on 24 September last year after developing pneumonia-related breathing difficulties, heart problems, and physical weakness.
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During his treatment, he remained under the close supervision of senior ICU consultant Dr Raihan Rabbani. Despite sustained efforts by the medical team over an extended period, he breathed his last today, reads the statement.
The hospital authorities expressed their deepest condolences to the bereaved family and conveyed sympathy to all those mourning his death.
He served as a member of the advisory council of the Awami League, whose activities are presently banned.
The 82-year-old had been receiving treatment since 27 September last year. On 4 October, rumours of his death spread on social media, but his family later confirmed that he was alive and continuing treatment at the hospital.
Born on 22 October 1943 in Bhola district, Tofail Ahmed rose to prominence as vice president of Dhaka University's student union between 1967 and 1969 and later emerged as a key figure in the 1969 uprising against military rule.
At the age of 27, he was elected to Pakistan's National Assembly in 1970.
He was one of the organizers of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 and acted as one of the chiefs of Bangladesh Liberation Front.
Ahmed joined the Awami League (now party activities banned) and in support of the 1966 six-point movement and was involved in the 1969 mass uprising in East Pakistan as a student leader. He was the vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union.
Besides that, after 1975, he spent about five years in jails of Dhaka, Mymensing, Sylhet, Cumilla, Barishal, Kushtia and Rajshahi.
He was a veteran Parliamentarian and earned the love and respect of Parliament Members and people from all walks of life for his speeches in parliamentary debate on various national issues.
He was the Minister for Commerce and Industries from June 1996 to December 1999. He continued as the Minister for Industries up to 2001, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Industry from 2009-2013. He was also Minister for Housing & Public Works and Industries from November 2013 to January 2014.
He continued as the Minister for Commerce Ministry from January 2014 to December 2018. In 1970, Ahmed was a political secretary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
