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Published : 05 Oct 2025, 01:22 AM
Tofail Ahmed, an Awami League heavyweight and close confidant of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, remains in critical condition after being hospitalised for 10 days with age-related complications.
The 81-year-old former minister and leader in the 1969 Mass Upsurge and 1971 Liberation War has shown “no improvement”, according to the CEO of Square Hospital, Yousuf Siddique.
Tofail’s personal assistant, Abul Khayer, confirmed that his condition remains “unchanged”.
A family member said the senior Awami League leader has been using a wheelchair for several years since a stroke left one side of his body “paralysed”. The numbness in his left hand and leg has left him unable to walk.
On Saturday evening, rumours of his death circulated, but the hospital quickly denied these reports.
Morshedul, a “customer care representative” at the hospital, said: “He is currently in the ICU, and we will inform the media should there be any significant updates.”
Born on Oct 22, 1943, in the village of Kodalia in Bhola District, Tofail had a huge presence in the country’s political history over the last five and a half decades, serving as a member of parliament nine times. He was last elected as an MP from the Bhola-1 constituency.
Tofail rose to prominence as a fiery student leader in the 1960s and played a pivotal role in the country’s independence movement.
He became the vice-president of the Dhaka University Central Student Union during the 1968-69 protests and later served as a key figure in the student leadership during the 1969 Mass Upsurge.
He stood beside Mujibur Rahman during the historic Mar 7, 1971 rally at the Racecourse Ground, where the future leader of an independent Bangladesh called for a final struggle against Pakistani rule.
Tofail was one of the four regional commanders in the 1971 Liberation War, and served as the political secretary to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the early 1970s.
As he became a political heavyweight, Tofail served the Awami League as the organising secretary for a long time before becoming a presidium member later.
He took office as the commerce minister during the Awami League’s 1996-2001 tenure. He served in the same position again from 2011 to 2013.
