President Zillur Rahman passed away on Wednesday at Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital while undergoing treatment. He was 84.
Zillur Rahman, one of the organisers of the country’s Liberation War, breathed his last at around 4.47pm (BST).
Contacted, Prime Minister’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad confirmed UNB about the President’s demise.
He said the Prime Minister expressed her profound shock and sorrow at the President’s death.
Zillur Rahman took oath of office as president on February 12, 2009.
He left behind two daughters, only son, Nazmul Hasan Papon, MP, and a host of relatives, well-wishers, political colleagues and followers to mourn his death.
Zillur, a close associate of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was admitted to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital on Monday morning for treatment.
Earlier, an air-ambulance of the Mount Elizabeth Hospital, carrying Zillur Rahman, reached Changi International Airport at 5.00 am (Singapore time) on Monday. Bangladesh Ambassador to Singapore Mahbub Uz Zaman received him at the airport.
President Zillur, also a language movement veteran, left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:45 pm on March 10.
The President was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka on March 9 with respiratory problems.
Zillur who led the Awami League during its critical time after the 1/11 political changeover as the then army-backed interim government imprisoned its president Sheikh Hasina.
Md. Zillur Rahman, the 19th President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, was born in a respectable Muslim family under Bhairab thana of Kishoreganj district on March 09, 1929.
His father late Meher Ali Mian was a renowned lawyer, Chairman of the then Mymensingh Local Board and Member of the District Board.
Zillur had been elected general secretary of the Awami League for fourth time in different terms.
He had been elected Member of the National Assembly (MNA) of Pakistan in 1970. He was elected Member of Parliament in 1973, 1986, 1996, 2001 and 2008.
Zillur actively took part in formulation of the Constitution of Bangladesh immediately after the victory in the war of Liberation as a Member of Bangladesh Constituent Assembly,
He became the minister of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives in 1996. Apart from being Minister, as he also discharged his duties as the Deputy Leader in Parliament till 2001.
Zillur Rahman passed Matriculation from Bhairab KB High School in 1945 and later obtained Intermediate of Arts certificate from Dhaka Intermediate College, now renamed as Dhaka College.
In 1954, he got his MA with Honors in History and LLB degree from the University of Dhaka.
Zillur Rahman played an active role in the great Language Movement in 1952.
He presided over a student gathering held in the historic Amtala (Mango grove) of Dhaka University on 19 February 1952 to voice the demand for Bangla as the State Language.
Zillur was elected uncontested Vice-President (VP) of Student Union of Fazlul Huq Hall, University of Dhaka in the year of 1953,
He was expelled from the University and his Masters Degree withdrawn for his active participation in the Language Movement.
He also performed his duties as the President of erstwhile East Pakistan Awami Sechchhasebak League (Volunteer front of the party).
Ivey Rahman, the wife of the President Zillur Rahman, died two days after the brutal grenade attack on 21 August 2004 at a grand-rally of Bangladesh Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city in which she was seriously injured.
Source: UNB Connect
