Octogenarian Bangladesh president Zillur Rahman dies

Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013

Dhaka: Octogenarian Bangladesh President Mohammad Zillur Rahman died on Wednesday as he was being treated at a Singapore hospital, officials said on Wednesday.

“He breathed his last at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital,” a Bangabhaban spokesman told Gulf News.

Bangladesh ambassador to Singapore, Mahbubuzzaman, said doctors proclaimed him dead at 4.47pm (BST) when his only son, daughters and other close relatives were present.

The 85-year-old was flown to Singapore by an air ambulance for a critical lung infection a day after he was admitted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at Dhaka cantonment.

Rahman, a veteran politician, who celebrated his 85th birthday earlier this month was installed as the ceremonial head of state in 2009 after the Awami League was elected in the landmark December 2008 general elections.

A lawyer by profession, Rahman was a close aide of Bangladesh’s founder and Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina’s father Shaikh Mujib-ur-Rahman and is regarded as a key figure in consolidating the ruling Awami League’s unity at different times after the 1975 coup when Shaikh Mujib was killed along with most of his family members.

“The acting president announced the three-day state mourning for the death of President Zillur Rahman,” a Bangabhaban presidential palace spokesman told BSS.

Parliamentary speaker Abdul Hamid became the acting president on March 14 to discharge the function of President in accordance with the Constitution.

By Anisur Rahman ?Correspondent