AL leader Syed Ashraf dies

Public administration minister and former general secretary of the ruling Awami League Syed Ashraful Islam died on Thursday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. He was 67.
Md Mominul Hoque, public relations officer to the late minister Ashraf, told New Age that Syed Ashraf died at Bamungrad Hospital in Bangkok at about 9:30pm Bangladesh Time.
Ashraf was elected lawmaker from Kishoreganj-1 for five times, including the latest 11th parliament election, held on December 30, 2018.
Ashraf left a daughter and host of well-wishers to mourn his death.
Ashraf, son of the 1971 Mujibnagar government’s first acting president and key Liberation War organiser Syed Nazrul Islam, was born in 1952 in Mymensingh. 
He was active in student politics from his student life. 
After the country’s independence, he became the general secretary of Mymensingh district unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student front Awami League. 
He also served as an assistant publicity secretary of central BCL during his student life. 
After the killing of his father Syed Nazrul Islam along with three other high profile national leaders in Dhaka Central Jail on November 03, 1975, he went to London and worked to organise Bangladesh Awami League in UK.
He came back home in 1996 and was elected as lawmaker from Kishoreganj-1.
He served as the state minister for civil aviation and tourism ministry between 1996 and 2001. 
He was also elected MP in 2001 and served as a member of foreign affairs standing committee in the parliament. 
In 2008, he was elected as lawmaker again and appointed as the minister for LGRD and cooperatives ministry. 
He took over the charge as a minister of the public administration ministry on July 16, 2015.
Ashraf was elected AL’s Joint General Secretary in 2002 and General Secretary twice in 2009 and 2012. He held the position until October 2016. He was later made as the presidium member of Awami League. 
President Md Abdul Hamid, prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her colleagues including finance minister AMA Muhith, state minister for public administration Ismat Ara Sadique, cabinet secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam and public administration secretary Faiz Ahmed expressed condolences and deep shock at the death of Ashraf.  

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net