Former reserved-seat MP Fazilatun Nasa Bappy dies at 49

Former reserved-seat MP and Supreme Court lawyer Fazilatun Nasa Bappy has died at the age of 49 in a Dhaka hospital.

Bappy was suffering from a combination of pneumonia and other respiratory diseases and was kept on life support for the past four days at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital.

The doctors pronounced her dead at 8 am on Thursday, her brother Col Basir told bdnews24.com.

Bappy was involved in politics as an Awami League activist. She remained loyal to Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina when some of the leaders and activists proposed 'reforms’ to the party during the army-backed emergency rule in 2007-08.

Bappy was a deputy attorney general and worked for the International Crimes Tribunal as a prosecutor.

She was a member of parliament from a reserved seat, chosen twice by the ruling Awami League.

Bappy took oath as an MP from a reserved seat in the ninth parliament on Dec 15, 2011 following the 15th amendment when the number of reserved seats was increased.

Later, she served as MP from a reserved seat again in the 10th parliament.

Bappy proposed a bill on confiscating the assets of the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and convicted war criminals in the national parliament in 2016 which was passed unanimously. She also raised the proposal to draft the law to punish those distorting the history of the genocide and Liberation war of 1971, which was passed in 2017.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed their deep condolences over the death of Advocate Bappy.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader has expressed his grief over the death of Bappy.

Her body will be taken to the Supreme Court premises after 1 pm, where a namaz-e-janaza or funeral prayer will be held, Bappy's brother Col Basir told bdnews24.com. Another namaz-e-janaza will be held in the South Plaza of the National Parliament. She will be laid to rest at the Mirpur Intellectual Graveyard in the evening.