NPP chief Shawkat Hossain Nilu passes away

National Peoples' Party (NPP) Chairman Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu has passed away. He was 65.

He died at Dhaka's Square Hospital Saturday night, National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Alamgir Majumder told bdnews24.com.

NPP and NDP are partners in National Democratic Front, an alliance of several political parties. 

Nilu launched the Front breaking away from the BNP-led 20-party alliance in September 2014.

The BNP-led alliance expelled Nilu after he attended a programme at the Ganabhaban hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in July that year.

Nilu's aide Al-Amin told bdnews24.com that the NPP leader died at the hospital at 10:55pm while undergoing treatment.

He was admitted to the hospital for diarrhoea three days ago, Al-Amin said.

"Sir (Nilu) suffered a heart attack later. He was kept on life support for two days," he added.

He also said Nilu would be buried at Banani Graveyard on Monday after his elder daughter studying in Australia returns home.

NPP Joint Secretary General Zia Zaman Khan told bdnews24.com that a namaz-e-janaza of Nilu would be held beside his house in Ibrahimpur on Monday.

His body will be taken to the party headquarters at Naya Paltan later, and another janaza will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque before the burial.

Born in Gopalganj's Tungipara on Apr 3, 1952, Nilu entered politics by joining Bangladesh Students' Union in the 1960s.

The founding agriculture secretary of the BNP later joined Jatiya Party during HM Ershad's regime. He became a presidium member of the party and later headed its farmers front Krishak Party.

He left Jatiya Party and formed NPP in 2008. The party joined the BNP-led alliance in 2011.

After the Awami League had formed the government for the second consecutive term following the 2014 election boycotted by the BNP, Nilu left the alliance and formed NDF with 11 like-minded parties.