Fisheries and Livestock Minister Sayedul Hoque dies at 75

Hoque died while undergoing treatment at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on Saturday morning. He was 75.

He leaves behind a wife and son. His son, Raihanul Hoque, is a lecturer at Dhaka Medical College.

Hoque was elected to the Brahmanbaria-1 seat five times as a member of the Awami League. The veteran AL leader was appointed to the cabinet under the Sheikh Hasina administration in 2014.

The minister had been on life support at the hospital since Dec 13 due to a prostate gland infection. He passed away around 8:30am on Saturday.

Hoque had been in hospital since last October, said BSMMU Director Brig Gen Abdullah-Al-Harun told bdnews24.com.

President Md Abdul Hamid had visited him only a day ago.

The president expressed his condolences over Hoque’s death and called it a great loss to Bangladesh politics. His work for the welfare of the people and the nation, and his role in realising the ideals of the Liberation War will never be forgotten, Hamid said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also offered her condolences.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader went to BSMMU on Saturday morning after receiving news of Hoque’s death.

Quader told journalists the departed leader was the ‘the face of honest politics’.

“He was a leader of our land and our people. Many people who gain power in our country misuse it, but corruption could never touch him. Such honest men are rare.”

At 11am Sayedul Hoque’s body was taken to his government allocated home at Minto Road’s Mantripara. From there the body was taken to the hospital mortuary.

His body will be taken to the premises of the parliament building at 8:30am on Sunday, said Quader. The first funeral prayers will be held there after the prime minister and other members of the Awami League pay their respects. The body will then be taken to Brahmanbaria, where it will be buried after funeral prayers.

Hoque’s death comes only a day after the passing of veteran Chittagong Awami League leader ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.

Sayedul Hoque was born on Mar 4, 1942 in Brahmanbaria’s Nasirnagar.

He joined Bangabandhu’s 6-point movement in 1966 and in 1968 was elected as vice president of the student council at the Brahmanbaria Government College. He received his master’s in economics from Dhaka University and began a career in law in 1969. In 1971 he played a role in the Liberation War.

Hoque was elected to the Brahmanbaria-1 seat in 1973 during the first parliamentary polls. He was again elected in the 1996, 2001, 2008 and 2014 elections.

Hoque was appointed as fisheries and livestock minister on Jan 12, 2014.

During his tenure, Bangladesh became the fourth largest producer of fish and goat products. The ministry also highlighted his role in increasing the hilsa stock.

Calling the minister a ‘visionary’, Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation said in a condolence message: “He was a man of integrity, dedication and great leadership qualities.”

In the message, the foundation’s Chairman Syed Mahmudul Huq also said Sayedul Hoque’s contribution to the development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Bangladesh will “always bear the hallmark of someone who had strategic plan for the development of the sector and great insight to implement that strategy”.

Hoque faced criticism last year after attacks on the Hindu community in his constituency of Nasirnagar.