Former deputy minister, freedom fighter and adviser to late prime minister Khaleda Zia, Abdul Hai, has died at the age of 77.
He died at a private hospital in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area around 1:30 am on Thursday (October 15), while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Popular Hospital in Dhanmondi, family members confirmed.
According to family sources, Abdul Hai’s first namaz-e-janaza is scheduled to be held at the South Plaza of the National Parliament at 3pm on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
His second janaza will be held in front of the BNP central office in Nayapaltan at 4pm, while the third will take place at the party office in Munshiganj town’s Supermarket area in the evening.
His fourth and final janaza will be held at the Eidgah ground of Mireshwarai Alia Madrasa in Panchasar union of Munshiganj Sadar upazila later that night.
Abdul Hai was born on 5 January 1949 in Hosendi village of Gazaria upazila in Munshiganj. He took part in the 1971 Liberation War.
He is survived by his wife, Jamila Khatun, two sons and two daughters. His father, Monir Uddin, was a businessman, while his younger brother, Mohiuddin Ahmed, previously served as member secretary of the Munshiganj district BNP.
Hai completed his secondary education at Munshiganj Multipurpose High School and obtained his higher secondary and bachelor’s degrees from Government Haraganga College.
He held several positions in the BNP, including president of its Munshiganj district unit and treasurer of the party’s central committee.
Hai was first elected to parliament in 1979 and secured further victories in the 1991, 1996 and 2001 parliamentary elections.
He represented constituencies including the now-defunct Munshiganj-4 seat.
He served as deputy minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives during the fifth parliament and as a panel speaker during the eighth parliament.