Veteran AL Leader Tofail Ahmed Passes Away at 83

Veteran politician, legendary organizer of the Liberation War, and former minister Tofail Ahmed has passed away. He breathed his last at Dhaka’s Square Hospital at 3:30 pm on Monday (June 1) while undergoing treatment for prolonged age-related complications. He was 83.

His death marks the end of an era in Bangladeshi politics. He leaves behind his daughter, son-in-law, a grandson, and countless admirers nationwide.

According to family sources, his first Namaz-e-Janaza will be held in Dhaka on Monday evening. His brother-in-law, Pintu Talukder, confirmed that the body will be flown to his hometown in Bhola on Tuesday afternoon. A second Janaza will take place at the Bhola Government High School ground, followed by a third at his birthplace in Koralia village (South Dighaldi Union). He will be laid to rest beside his mother at their family graveyard.

The news of his passing has cast a deep pall of mourning over Bhola, transcending political lines. Golam Nabi Almir, Convener of the Bhola District BNP, expressed profound sorrow: "I have known him for decades. In his death, the people of Bhola have lost a true guardian." His grandson, Md. Shakil, emotionally described him as the family's "sheltering banyan tree."

An Illustrious Political Career

Born on October 22, 1943, in Koralia village to Azhar Ali and Fatema Khanam, Tofail Ahmed’s political journey is deeply intertwined with the birth of Bangladesh.

A brilliant student leader, he was elected Vice President (VP) of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) in 1967. During the historic 1969 mass uprising, he formed the All-Party Students' Struggle Council, playing a pivotal role in forcing the resignation of Ayub Khan and securing the release of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the Agartala Conspiracy Case. On February 23, 1969, at a historic rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, it was Tofail Ahmed who formally bestowed the title of "Bangabandhu" upon Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on behalf of the Bengali nation.

At just 27, he was elected to the Pakistan National Assembly in the 1970 elections. During the 1971 Liberation War, he served as one of the four regional commanders of the Mujib Bahini, overseeing the western front.

Following independence, Bangabandhu appointed him as Political Secretary with the rank of State Minister in 1972. Following the tragic assassination of Bangabandhu and his family in 1975, Tofail Ahmed was arrested and imprisoned for 33 months. Throughout his nearly 60-year political career, he was jailed seven times for his pro-democracy stances.

A fiercely loyal leader, Ahmed represented Bhola in parliament across nine terms, most recently winning his seat in the 2024 elections. He served as the Minister of Industry and Commerce in 1996 and again as Commerce Minister in 2014. Despite the turbulent shifts in Bangladesh's political landscape, including the 1/11 military-backed caretaker period, Tofail Ahmed never wavered from his core Awami League ideology, cementing his legacy as a resolute and foundational pillar of Bangladesh's political history.