BNP’s Tariqul Islam passes away

BNP leader and former minister Tariqul Islam has died at the age of 72, his family say.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 4 Nov 2018, 11:55 AM
Updated : 4 Nov 2018, 02:14 PM

Tariqul, who had been suffering from cancer, passed away on Sunday evening at Dhaka’s Apollo Hospital where he was getting medical attention.

Anindya Islam Amit, a member of the BNP’s Executive Working Committee, informed bdnews24.com of his death, saying: “Dad is no longer with us.”

His funeral prayers will be held on Monday at the party’s headquarters in Dhaka’s Naya Paltan at 10am, at the parliament complex at 11:15am, and at the Jashore Eid congregation ground after Asr prayers.

He will be buried at his family graveyard in his ancestral home in Jashore.     

Tariqul left behind his wife and two sons. He also published a newspaper from Jashore and had been a chairman of Jashore municipality.

BNP acting chief Tarique Rahman and Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir have condoled his passing. The Jatiya Oikya Front alliance led by Dr Kamal Hossain and LDP Chairman Oli Ahmed have also issued messages expressing their sadness.  

Grieving BNP leaders and activists rushed to the hospital on the news of the leader’s death.

Mirza Fakhrul spoke to Tariqul’s wife Nargis Islam and their sons.

The BNP’s National Standing Committee member had been irregular in politics in the past few years due to his illness.

He last attended a meeting of highest policymaking body, Standing Committee, in February, before the incarceration of party chief Khaleda Zia.

Tariqul was elected to parliament four times from his constituency in Jashore and served as the information minister and the minister of environment and forest under the four-party alliance government.

He served the Khaleda government of 1991 first as social welfare and then as post and telecommunication minister. He held several high-level positions in the party before becoming a member of the Standing Committee.

Tariqul completed his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Rajshahi University and was involved in leftist student politics.

He later joined Ziaur Rahman’s BNP and remained a member of the party until his death.