Published : 12 Jul 2026, 07:05 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:24 AM
Former speaker Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar will be laid to rest at the National Parliament premises following his Namaz-e-Janaza or funeral prayers at the South Plaza of the parliament.
In a press release, the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat announced that the funeral prayer for the veteran politician will be held at 5pm on Sunday at the South Plaza of the National Parliament. Following the prayer, he will be buried at the designated burial ground within the parliament complex.
Sircar was sworn in as speaker of the 8th Jatiya Sangsad on Oct 28, 2001, and served in that position until Jan 25, 2009.
Following the resignation of then-president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury in 2002, Sircar also served as the acting president of Bangladesh from Jun 21 to Sept 6 of that year.
Mohammad Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan, secretary of the Parliament Secretariat, told bdnews24.com: "It has been decided that former speaker Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar will be buried at the southwest corner of the National Parliament complex, where seven distinguished personalities and political leaders have already been laid to rest. The Parliament Secretariat is making the necessary preparations."
Sircar, a five-time member of parliament, passed away early on Sunday morning while undergoing treatment at the Bangladesh Specialized Hospital in Shyamoli. He was 94 years old.
The BNP has announced that Monday will be observed as a nationwide day of mourning, including in Dhaka, following the death of Sircar, who was also a member of its highest policymaking body – the National Standing Committee.
Speaking at a press conference at the party's central office in Naya Paltan on Sunday afternoon, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme.
He said, "The BNP is announcing a one-day programme in observance of the passing of the late Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar. Monday will be observed as a nationwide day of mourning."
"On this occasion, black flags will be hoisted at party offices across Dhaka and the country, and all leaders and activists will wear black badges," he added.
Rizvi also prayed for the eternal peace and forgiveness for the departed leader's soul.
Meanwhile, condolences over the death of former speaker came in from Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal, and Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam. Parliament Secretary Md Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan, along with officers and employees of the Parliament Secretariat, also mourned his passing.
In separate condolence messages, the speaker and deputy speaker prayed for the eternal peace of his soul and conveyed their deepest sympathies to the bereaved family.
Chief Whip Nurul said, "Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar was a distinguished parliamentary figure, an eminent jurist, and a patriotic politician. His contributions to the state and the development of democratic institutions will be remembered forever. As speaker of the national parliament, he discharged his responsibilities with wisdom, competence, and impartiality, thereby strengthening parliamentary democracy. His death is an irreparable loss to the country's political and parliamentary arena."
He prayed for the forgiveness of Sircar's soul and for Allah to grant him mercy. He also extended condolences to his family members, relatives, colleagues, well-wishers, and admirers.
Parliament Secretary Sarwar, together with the officers and staff of the Parliament Secretariat, also prayed for the eternal peace of Sircar's soul and expressed sympathy to his bereaved family.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury expressed his profound grief and sorrow over the death of the distinguished politician.
In a condolence message, the finance minister said that Sircar was one of the brightest figures in Bangladesh's political and legal spheres and a renowned constitutional and legal expert of the Supreme Court. During the 1971 Liberation War, he played an outstanding role in organising Supreme Court lawyers in support of the country's independence movement. He was also one of the founding members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and, as a member of its Standing Committee, made significant contributions to the nation's politics.
Born on Dec 1, 1931, in Nayabari village of Panchagarh’s Tentulia, Sircar was the son of Maulvi Muhammad Aziz Baksh.
He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the University of Dhaka. He later completed an LLB and obtained the qualification of barrister-at-law from Lincoln's Inn in London.
After completing his education, he enrolled as an advocate of the then East Pakistan High Court and began practicing law on May 27, 1960. He became a distinguished constitutional, civil, and criminal law expert at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
Sircar began his political career during his student years with left-wing organisations. In 1945, he joined the then Student Federation. He later became associated with the Student Union and the National Awami Party (NAP) led by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani.
He was a founding member of the Awami Muslim League and a close associate of Maulana Bhashani.
Sircar was also a founding member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Before the formation of the BNP, he was associated with Jatiya Ganatantrik Dal (Jagodal), established by former president Ziaur Rahman. After the BNP was founded, he became a member of its highest policymaking body – the National Standing Committee - and remained in that position until his death.
Recognised as one of Bangladesh's leading legal minds, Sircar represented Bangladesh at the United Nations General Assembly five times between 1977 and 1981, having been appointed by president Ziaur Rahman.
During the 1971 Liberation War, he was among the High Court lawyers who actively supported Bangladesh's struggle for independence.
In president Ziaur Rahman's cabinet, Sircar served as state minister for public works and housing. During his tenure, the construction of the National Parliament Building was completed.
He later served as state minister for foreign affairs under president Abdus Sattar. Following the 1991 general election, he became state minister for land in prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia's cabinet, and subsequently served as minister for education and minister for science and technology.
In the short-lived government formed after the 6th parliament, he served as minister for law from Mar 19 to Mar 30, 1996. During that period, he introduced the caretaker government bill in parliament.
He served as speaker of the 8th National Parliament.
