Ex-dy speaker Shawkat Ali dies

Former Jatiya Sangsad deputy speaker retired colonel Shawkat Ali passed away on Monday morning.

He was 83.

Freedom fighter Shawkat Ali, also chief adviser of 71 Foundation, breathed his last at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka at  9:30am, a parliament secretariat press release said.

Shawkat was admitted to the CMH on October 29 with multiple old-age complications, including kidney and heart problems.

He was put on life support on November 5.

President Md Abdul Hamid, prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Jatiya Sangsad speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and many ministers expressed deep shock at the death of Shawkat.

In a condolence message, the president said that late Shawkat Ali, being imbued with the ideals of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, worked tirelessly in organising the country’s independence war and upheld the spirit of Liberation War throughout his life.

In her condolence message, prime minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of the senior politician.

The nation will remember Shawkat Ali with due respect for his contribution to the struggle for the independence, the Liberation War and strengthening parliamentary democracy, she said.

The prime minister prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Shawkat was one of the accused in the Agartala Conspiracy Case filed during the Ayub regime of Pakistan in 1968.

He was elected lawmaker from Shariatpur-2 constituency six times.

Shawkat’s body was taken to the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital at 3:00pm on Monday, where people paid their last respects to him.

His namaz-e-janaza was held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Maghrib prayer on the day.

His body is scheduled to be taken to Naria in Shariatpur district by a helicopter at around 10:00am today, where he will be buried at his family graveyard following a namaz-e-janaza on the Naria BL Model High School premises.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net