United News of Bangladesh

Veteran Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed passed away at a hospital in the capital on Monday. He was 82. Tofail Ahmed, a key figure in Bangladesh's Liberation War and the 1969 mass uprising, breathed his last around 4 pm at Square Hospital, according to his family sources. He was an 8-time Member of Parliament representing the Bhola-1, Bhola-2 and Bakerganj-1 constituencies during 1973–2024. He also served as the Minister of Commerce and Minister of Industries. Tofail Ahmed, a member of Awami League Advisory Council, is survived by his only daughter Dr Taslima Ahmed Zaman Munni. His wife Anwara Ahmed died on November 20 last year. Tofail’s namaz-e-janaza will be held at Dhanmondi's Taqwa Mosque after Maghrib prayers today. Later, the body will be kept at the morgue of Square Hospital. The body will be taken to Bhola on Tuesday either by a helicopter or in a refrigerated hearse, according to family sources. After Zuhr prayers on Tuesday, another janaza will be held at the Bhola District School ground  after which he will be laid to rest at the family graveyard. Tofail Ahmed, born on October 22, 1943, was one of the organizers of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 and acted as one of the chiefs of Bangladesh Liberation Front. Ahmed joined the Awami League (now party activities banned) and in support of the 1966 Six point movement and was involved in the 1969 mass uprising in East Pakistan as a student leader. He was the vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union. Besides that, after 1975, he spent about five years in jails of Dhaka, Mymensing, Sylhet, Cumilla, Barishal, Kushtia and Rajshahi. He was a veteran Parliamentarian and earned the love and respect of Parliament Members and people from all walks of life for his speeches in parliamentary debate on various national issues. He was the Minister for Commerce and Industries from June1996 to December, 1999. He continued as the Minister for Industries up to 2001, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Industry from 2009-2013. He was also Minister for Housing & Public Works and Industries from November 2013 to January 2014. He continued as the Minister for Commerce Ministry from January 2014 to December 2018. In 1970, Ahmed was a political secretary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.  

There will be no non-partisan government in Bangladesh, Awami League (AL) Advisory Council member Tofail Ahmed, said today. “There will be no non-partisan government and the Election commission will not be abolished,” he said while talking to reporters after attending a views-exchange meeting with party leaders held at Sadar upazila parishad auditorium in Bhola district. Read Govt doesn't want a normal election: GM Quader “Election commission has been formed through rules and Chief Election Commissioner and others were appointed through search committee. BNP should thank its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for sustaining the party through speeches and he should be given a Nobel Prize for it,” said Tofail. Talking about natural gas in Bhola, the Awami League MP said the gas crisis will be mitigated once Bhola-Barishal Bridge opens. Expressing profound grief over the demise of Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, presidium member of Awami League and deputy leader of the House, Tofail Ahmed said she was a great leader and made a great contribution to the party. Read Don’t antagonise people: BNP warns civil servants

Ailing senior Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed, undergoing treatment at an Indian hospital, has been shifted to a cabin from its ICU as his condition improved. Shaban Mahmood, Minister (Press) of Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, told UNB on Saturday that the veteran politician is undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon, India under Dr Arun Garg, head of Neurology Department of the hospital, and he is doing well. Also read: Tofail now stable after hospitalisation “Tofail has been shifted to a cabin and doctors hope that he’ll get well soon,” he added. Tofail, an advisory council member of Awami League and a former minister, was flown to India in an air ambulance on Friday for better treatment. Also read: Tofail, Firoz lament growing importance of amlas at the expense of politicians

The health condition of veteran politician Tofail Ahmed, undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in India's Gurgaon, is now stable. Bangladesh High Commissioner to New Delhi Muhammad Imran Friday met with him and talked about his health condition. "His [Tofail Ahmed] health condition is stable now. He is now doing fine," Shaban Mahmood, Minister (Press) at Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi told UNB. Read: Covid-infected Rajshahi MP Fazle Hossain airlifted to Dhaka Tofail is undergoing treatment under Dr Arun Garg, head of the neurology department of Medanta Multi Super Specialty Hospital in Gurgaon, Haryana. Earlier, Tofail was flown to New Delhi for better treatment. The senior Awami League leader served as the minister of commerce and minister of industries.

Two front bench MPs from the treasury and opposition on Monday expressed their frustration at bypassing political leaders in various emergency periods like the COVID-19 pandemic.Ruling Awami League’s senior lawmaker Tofail Ahmed and Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid expressed their anger and frustration in Parliament while speaking on the general discussion on the next fiscal budget.AL senior lawmaker Tofail Ahmed said: "Now the administrative officers have been given the responsibility in our district. People think that all the help we gave to the people during Corona was given by these administrative officials." Also read: Tofail also criticises budget, finds ‘inconsistencies’ But the administrative officials did not go to the area, he claimed."The person who has been given responsibility in my area has never come even for a day,” Tofail said, expressing his frustration.The senior most parliamentarian said that it was unfortunate.There is not a single MP in parliament who did not stand by the poor and distressed persons during this Coronavirus period. Everyone is standing by the people, he said.In this connection, he said that he has given relief to 40,000 people in his area."But people think that the administrative officials have given all this.” Also read: Close Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee: Firoz RashidHe said that the authority and work of a political government and politicians have faded away nowadays.Tofail criticising the planning minister who recently said that there were bureaucrats even in Pharaoh's time, said: "People don't like these words."He said that according to the warrant of precedence, MPs are above the secretaries."This thing needs to be noticed. We will need officials from the administration, but not with the exclusion of politicians."Tofail said politicians are the elected representatives and they should have their specific place and job for them and they should remain there. Also read: It’s hand to mouth budget, rather to recover the economy: Inu“A secretary will go to our district. We'll welcome him. There is no problem in it. But they do not go there even for a day.” He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister in 1996. At that time the ministers were in charge of the district. Party’s leaders and activists thronged there when they used to visit any district. Those days are gone now.Kazi Firoz Rashid also echoed Tofail Amed. He said there is no politics in the country today. Secretaries were given responsibility for each district.Jatiya Party MP Firoz said the Prime Minister spoke to the Deputy Commissioners at different programmes and MPs' positions at those programmes remained at a distance."Later (after the programme), MPs requested DC’s…they want to talk a little with the Prime Minister. This is the situation of politicians," he expressed his anger.He said when the Prime Minister speaks to the DCs, the importance of MPs becomes less. "Tofail Ahmed has perfectly mentioned this issue."The senior Jatiya Party MP said that the political arenas are slowly being occupied by businessmen."Who is running the country? Businessmen and bureaucrats are running the country. We politicians are now standing in the third line. This is our bad luck. But this country has been liberated by politicians."He said that it is the politicians, not the businessmen who have political commitment. They hold umbrellas to tell in which direction the wind blows."We were also in power, we have bitter experience in this regard," he warned.

Awami League Advisory Council member Tofail Ahmed on Monday said BNP has a habit of complaining after losing elections.