Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil has died in yet unclear circumstances.
The 47-year-old former Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader was found dead on Tuesday inside a restaurant in Dhaka.
The cause of death is yet to be known and State Minister of Energy Nasrul Hamid Bipu told the media at the scene that an autopsy will be performed.
But police have refused to say anything on it.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that the matter is being looked into. “The CID is probing the incident. If there is any mystery to it, it will be clear.”
Prime Minister Hasina has mourned the death of her aide. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has offered condolences.
A former BCL vice-president, Shakil was the chief executive officer of the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), the Awami League’s research cell formed after the 2001 election.
State Minister Bipu, who was also involved with the CRI, went to the restaurant as soon as he got the news.
Around 4pm, he told the press corps waiting outside that the body will be kept at the BIRDEM Hospital’s mortuary.
“An autopsy will be conducted before the namaz-e-janaza is held at Dhaka University at 11am Wednesday.
“The body will then be taken to Mymensingh. He will be buried at the premises of his home at the town’s Baghmara,” added Bipu.
Minutes later, police were seen taking away five employees of the restaurant, said bdnews24.com correspondent Golam Mujtaba Dhruba who was on site.
Gulshan police OC Sirajul Islam declined to comment on the matter.
Forensic experts were seen entering the restaurant at 5pm. Thirty minutes later, Awami League Presidium member Syed Ashraful Islam came to the site.
A freezer vehicle carried the body away from the restaurant at 5:50pm.
The news of Shakil found dead at a restaurant broke around noon on Tuesday.
Prime Minister’s Assistant Press Secretary Asif Kabir confirmed to bdnews24.com of his death.
Soon after news crew as well as Awami League leaders gathered in front of the restaurant.
Prime Minister’s Adviser HT Imam, Awami League Joint Secretary General Mahbub-Ul Alam Hanif, Organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim were among those who came to the restaurant after hearing the news.
In 2008, when the Awami League took office, Shakil was appointed deputy press secretary to the PM.
In 2012, he was made her special assistant for media.
Two years later, he was appointed a special assistant to the PM, with the accord of an additional secretary.
Born in Tangail in 1968, he is the son of lawyer Jahirul Hoque Khoka, president of the Awami League’s chapter in Mymensingh district and school teacher Nurunnahar Khan.
He received his bachelors and masters degrees in sociology from Dhaka University. He has left behind a lawyer wife and a daughter.
In his hometown Mymensingh, Religious Affairs Minister Matiur Rahman, Divisional Commissioner GM Salehuddin, Range Police’s DIG Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, Deputy Commissioner Khalilur Rahman and Mayor Ikramul Haque Titu visited the grieving parents, who have fainted a couple of times on the news of their elder son’s death.
The former student leader wrote poems and has two books to his name ‘Kherokhatar Pata Theke’ (From diary pages) and ‘Mon Kharaper Garhi’ (The journey of melancholy).
Source: Bd news24
GOvt may like to find out why was he staying overnight at the restaurant.