Tofail Ahmed, one of the organizers of the Liberation War, a veteran politician, former commerce minister and long-time member of parliament, is no more. He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital on Monday (June 1) at around 3:30 pm. He was 82 years old at the time of his death.
Family members and his son-in-law Dr. Touhiduzzaman Tuhin confirmed the death.
According to family and hospital sources, Tofail Ahmed had been suffering from various physical complications due to old age for a long time. He was recently admitted to the hospital due to breathing problems, heart problems and physical weakness. Earlier, he had been using a wheelchair for several years after a stroke.
A familiar face in the state and political arena
Tofail Ahmed was born on October 22, 1943, in Koralia village of Dakhin Dighaldi Union of Bhola Sadar Upazila. He was active in political activities since his student days.
He served as the Vice President (VP) of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) from 1967 to 1969. His active role in the 1969 mass uprising made him known in national politics.
He was elected as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in the 1970 general elections at the age of just 27. He played an important role as an organizer during the Liberation War and played an influential role in national politics in the post-independence period.
Long political career
After independence, he was elected to the National Assembly several times and served as a cabinet member at various times. He also served as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s political secretary. During his long political career, he held policy-making responsibilities in trade, industry and other important sectors. He was involved in various initiatives to expand the country’s economy, industrialization and trade.
Funeral and burial
The family has informed that his first funeral will be held on Monday after Maghrib at the Taqwa Mosque premises in Dhanmondi in the capital.
His body will be taken to his home district of Bhola on Tuesday. A second funeral is scheduled to be held at the Bhola District School grounds after Zuhr prayers. He will be buried later in the family graveyard.
Mourning in the political arena
The death of Tofail Ahmed has cast a shadow of grief over the country’s political, social and cultural arenas. Various political leaders, former colleagues and well-wishers have expressed deep grief over his death and recalled the contributions of his long political life.
The death of Tofail Ahmed, who was associated with important chapters in Bangladesh’s student movement, mass uprising, liberation war, and post-independence political history, is being considered a significant loss to the country’s political arena.