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Veteran politician, freedom fighter and former BNP lawmaker Abdul Hai has died at the age of 77.
He passed away at the intensive care unit of Popular Hospital in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi around 1:30am on Thursday, family members confirmed.
Hai served as a former deputy minister, panel speaker of parliament and BNP treasurer. He was also president of the party’s Munshiganj district unit.
According to his family, his first namaz-e-janaza is scheduled to be held at 3pm on Thursday at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the presence of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
His second janaza is scheduled for 4pm in front of the BNP’s central office in Naya Paltan. The third will be held after evening prayers at the party office in the Supermarket area of Munshiganj town, followed by the fourth and final janaza at the Eidgah ground of Mireshwarai Alia Madrasa in Panchasar Union of Munshiganj Sadar upazila.
His death has cast a pall of grief over the political community in Munshiganj. He was widely respected across political lines for his principles, personal integrity, modest lifestyle and straightforward manner, according to local accounts.
Born on January 5, 1949, in Hosendi village of Gazaria upazila in Munshiganj, Hai was a veteran of the Liberation War. His father, Monir Uddin, was a businessman. He is survived by his wife, Jamila Khatun, two sons and two daughters.
Hai completed his secondary education at Munshiganj Multipurpose High School before graduating from Munshiganj Government Haraganga College.
He entered parliamentary politics after being elected an MP in 1979. He was subsequently elected in 1991, February 1996 and 2001, representing the former Munshiganj-4 constituency. He also won the Dhaka-8 constituency once, bringing his total number of parliamentary victories to five, according to the report.
During the fifth parliament, he served as deputy minister for local government, rural development and cooperatives. In the eighth parliament, he was elected a panel speaker.
Throughout his political career, Hai held several important positions in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), including central treasurer and president of its Munshiganj district unit.
His death has left fellow politicians, party colleagues, supporters and well-wishers mourning the loss of a veteran figure in Munshiganj politics.