Grief grips interim government after Hassan Ariff's death

The president, chief advisor, and the late advisor’s colleagues express condolences

The death of Advisor AF Hassan Ariff has cast a pall of gloom over the interim government.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus expressed deep sorrow at the passing of the veteran lawyer.

Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and the late advisor’s colleagues in the advisory council also conveyed their condolences.

Ariff, 83, fell ill at home while having lunch on Friday noon.

Family members rushed him to Labaid Hospital in Dhanmondi, where doctors declared him dead.

Ariff served as a civil aviation and tourism advisor with the rank of minister under the Yunus-led government, which was formed following the fall of the Awami League administration.

He also held responsibilities in the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives, which were later transferred to another Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain.

Upon hearing the news of his death after returning from the D-8 summit, Yunus went directly to the hospital to pay his respects.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also visited the hospital to pay tribute to Ariff.

In a condolence message, the president described Ariff’s death as an "irreparable loss" for Bangladesh.

He prayed for the soul of the deceased and offered his heartfelt condolences to the grieving family.

In his condolence message, Yunus remembered Ariff’s contributions as a lawyer, saying: “I am deeply shocked at his sudden demise. Advisor Hassan Ariff was a top lawyer who played a very significant role in the interim government.”

"He will be remembered as a brilliant lawyer for his legal activism and defending the human rights of dissidents, dissenting voices, and the marginalised people of our society.”

The chief justice, in his message, described the passing of the senior lawyer as a loss of "a bright star in the legal arena of Bangladesh”.