Former president of Bangladesh professor AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury passed away while undergoing treatment at a hospital in the capital in the early hours of Saturday.
He was 94.
Badruddoza, who was admitted to Uttara Women鈥檚 Medical College Hospital on Wednesday with lung infection, breathed his last at about 3:15am, said his physician daughter Shayla Chowdhury.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin, chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, and leaders of different political parties in separate messages expressed profound sorrow at his passing.
The president, in his message, said that the death of professor Badruddoza was an irreparable loss to the country鈥檚 political arena.聽
Chief adviser professor Yunus, in his condolence message, recalled Badruddoza鈥檚 long and widely respected career as a physician and a public servant.
鈥楢s a five-time member of parliament, he played a key role in the democratic transition of the country in the nineties. His speeches in parliament were hailed by politicians of all persuasions,鈥� he said.
The chief adviser urged people to learn from his life and 鈥榙edicate themselves for the welfare of the people and democracy.鈥�
Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed shock and sorrow mentioning that Badruddoza worked for the welfare of the country as a skilled and wise politician.
鈥楬e established himself in the political arena as an adept organiser and a shrewd politician during his illustrious political career,鈥� he added.
鈥楬is sincere devotion to democracy gave him a unique dimension. He was an uncompromising and courageous fighter in the struggle for independence, freedom and democratic rights of the people,鈥� said Fakhrul.
Apart from BNP, Jatiya Party, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, and other political parties also expressed their sorrow at his demise and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family.
Badruddoza will be buried at his family graveyard at Majidpur Dayhata in Munshiganj on Sunday, said his press secretary Jahangir Alam.
His first namaz-e-janaza was held on the Uttara Women鈥檚 Medical College and Hospital premises at 8:00am on Saturday. The second namaz-e-janaza was held at Baitul Atik Jame Mosque in Baridhara after Zuhr prayers.
The third namaz-e-janaza will be held at Munshiganj Stadium at 10:00am on Sunday, and the fourth one at his village home, Majidpur Dayhata, after Zuhr prayers.
Badruddoza was born on October 11, 1930 in what is now Cumilla city at his maternal grandparents鈥� house, but his ancestral home is at Srinagar in Munshiganj.
He was the founding secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. His lawyer father Kafil Uddin Chowdhury was the co-chairman of Krishak Praja Party, general secretary of the United Front, and a member of the then provincial cabinet of East Pakistan.
He completed his matriculation in first division in 1947 and passed higher secondary in first division from Dhaka College in 1949. In 1954鈥�55, he earned his MBBS degree from Dhaka Medical College, consistently ranking among the top students in every exam. He was one of the country鈥檚 leading professors in medicine and also a specialist physician. Badruddoza was an acclaimed presenter of television programmes on medical issues. His 鈥楢pnar Doctor鈥� health programme on the state broadcaster Bangladesh Television garnered millions of viewers.
A successful parliamentarian, Badruddoza addressed the United Nations three times. A recipient of the Independence Award, highest state award, the former president also authored several books.
At the request of the late president Ziaur Rahman, Badruddoza Chowdhury entered politics in 1978. He was first elected as a lawmaker from Srinagar, Munshiganj, in 1979.
In 1991, he was elected lawmaker again, serving first as the education minister and later as the deputy leader of parliament.
In 1996, he served as the deputy leader of the opposition, and in 2001, he was re-elected as lawmaker. He briefly served as the foreign minister in the BNP government from October to November of that year.
Badruddoza was elected as Bangladesh鈥檚 president on November 14, 2001. But he resigned from his office on June 21, 2002 over political reasons.
Later on May 8, 2004, Badruddoza founded a political party called Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh and served as its president until death.
He is survived by wife, a son and two daughters. His only son, Mahi B Chowdhury, is a politician.
