Former Water Resources minister and five-time Awami League lawmaker Ramesh Chandra Sen has died after falling ill at Dinajpur District Jail.
Sen, 85, was taken to the emergency department of Dinajpur Medical College Hospital at around 9:10am on Saturday after his health deteriorated inside the jail. Doctors declared him dead at 9:29am, hospital sources said.
According to jail authorities, he was arrested on August 16, 2024 and was later transferred to Dinajpur District Jail. At the time of his death, he was facing three cases, including a murder charge.
Dinajpur District Jail Superintendent Farhad Sarkar confirmed the death, saying the body would be handed over to the family following the completion of necessary legal formalities.
Ramesh Chandra Sen was born on April 30, 1940, in Kashalgaon village of Ruhia Union under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila. His father was Kshitindra Mohan Sen and his mother Balashwari Sen. He studied at Rangpur Carmichael College.
Sen, a veteran politician, was elected to parliament five times. Most recently, he became a Member of Parliament in 2024 after securing nomination from the Bangladesh Awami League and winning the Thakurgaon-1 (Sadar) constituency. He also served as a presidium member of the party.
Following the fall of the Awami League government in a student-public uprising in 2024, President Mohammad Sahabuddin dissolved the National Parliament, resulting in Sen losing his parliamentary seat. The Awami League was later banned from political activities.