Kazi Ebadul Hoque, a former SC judge and Language Movement activist, dies at 86

Kazi Ebadul Hoque, a former Supreme Court judge and a Language Movement activist, has died at the age of 86.

He passed away during treatment at Dhaka's Samorita Hospital in the early hours of Friday, according to Md Saifur Rahman, a spokesman for the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique expressed condolences over Hoque's death.

Hoque was born on Jan 1, 1936 in Feni. He played an active role in organising the movement to establish Bangla as an official language of the then East Pakistan in Feni town. In 1954, he began serving as the convener of the Feni Language Movement Council.

Hoque entered the legal profession in Feni after earning a law degree from Dhaka University. He later moved his practice to Dhaka. Hoque enrolled as a lawyer of the High Court in 1966.

He joined the High Court Division as a judge in 1990 and set himself apart by writing verdicts in Bangla.

After 10 years in the High Court Division, he was appointed to the Appellate Division. But he retired from the bench after a year in 2001.

Hoque had also served as the chairman of the Bangladesh Press Council.

In 2016, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian award in the country, for his contributions to various fields.