Freedom fighter Yusuf dies at 69

Freedom fighter Md Yusuf has died in a Dhaka hospital at the age of 69, his younger brother Md Sekander has said.

Yusuf, a former MP from Rangunia Upazila of Chittagong, suffered brain haemorrhage in 2001 and had since been bed-ridden at his brother’s place in the port city.

Doctors at the Combined Military Hospital or CMH declared him dead at 8:20am Sunday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the authorities to provide necessary medical care for Yusuf after the media reported last month that the former Awami League lawmaker was left without treatment.

He was admitted to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital and later transferred to CMH for better treatment.

Yusuf will be laid to rest near his Rangunia residence, Sekander said. But he did not mention the time for the funeral services and burial.

Yusuf was the eldest among his three siblings. He was never married.

He served the Rangunia student union as the president and Rangunia College student union as the vice-president from 1969-70.

After independence, Yusuf took an active role in labour union and served the Dawood-Forat Jute Mill as the CBA general secretary from 1974-75.

He served as the president of Communist Party of Bangladesh or CPB Rangunia unit and member of the editorial board of CPB Northern District Committee.

With 34,615 votes, Yusuf defeated the BNP and won the 1991 national polls from the Chittagong-7 constituency. He contested as a nominee of the eight-party alliance with election symbol ‘boat’.

Later he joined the Awami League.

The ruling Awami League and CPB have expressed grief over his death.