AF Hassan Ariff, the adviser to the interim government for land and civil aviation and tourism ministries, passed away at 3:10pm on Friday. He was 83.
The adviser鈥檚 personal secretary Mohammad Nasir Uddin confirmed the news.
Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and advisers for different ministries expressed their deep condolences at his death.
Hassan鈥檚 assistant personal secretary Abid Chowdhury told 抖阴精品 that the adviser had been suffering from cold-related diseases since returning from Savar on December 16.
鈥楬e attended office even the following days. Today (Friday) he felt sick and rushed to Labaid Hospital where he breathed his last. The probable cause of his death was heart attack,鈥� Abid said.
Hassan鈥檚 first Namaz-e-janaja was performed after Esha prayers at Baitul Aman Mosque in Dhanmandi. His second Namaz-e-janaja would be performed on the High Court premises at 11:00am today (Saturday). The decision on the date of his burial would be taken after his daughter Ummehani Binte Ariff arrives in Dhaka from Canada on December 22.
On August 8, Hassan took oath as one of the advisers of the interim government.聽聽 Initially, he was given charge of the local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry.
As part of reshuffling of the advisory portfolios on November 10, Hassan took charge as the adviser for the land and civil aviation and tourism ministries.
Born on July 10, 1941 in Kolkata of West Bengal state in India, Hassan was enrolled as an advocate of the Calcutta High Court in1967. Later in 1970, he shifted to Dhaka and was enrolled in the High Court.
Hassan held the office of attorney general from October 2001 to April 2005. He was the law adviser of the caretaker government from January 2008 to January 2009.
Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed deep shock at the death of Hassan.
Yunus learnt the news as soon as a plane carrying him from Dubai landed in Dhaka late afternoon. He rushed to Labaid Hospital from the airport to pay last respects to Hassan, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported.
鈥楬e will be remembered as a brilliant lawyer and for his legal activism and defending human rights of dissidents, dissenting voices, and the marginalised people of our society,鈥� Yunus said.
In separate condolence notes, Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, environment, forest and climate change ministry and water resources ministry adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, religious affairs ministry adviser AFM Khalid Hossain, road transport and bridges and energy, power and mineral resources ministries adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, health and family welfare ministry adviser Nurjahan Begum, Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs ministry adviser Supradip Chakma, information ministry adviser Nahid Islam, local government, rural development and youth and sports ministries adviser聽 Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, among others, expressed their condolences at his death.
