Muhammad Habibur Rahman, a former chief justice and also chief adviser to the 1996 caretaker government died at a hospital in the capital last night. He was 84.
Public Relations Officer Mostafizur Rahman of United Hospital confirmed his death to the Dhaka Tribune. He said: "Justice Habibur Rahman died on the way to the hospital. The doctors declared him dead on arrival."
President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia offered their condolences.
The noted scholar authored some 70 books on law, language, literature, Rabindranath Tagore, anthropology and religion. He was conferred a Bangla Academy award in 1984 and the Ekushey Padak in 2007.
Justice Habibur retired in 1995 as chief justice and served as the first chief adviser to the constitutionally-established caretaker government from March 31 to June 23, 1996. In 1994, he delivered a verdict in favour of Ghulam Azam that restored citizenship for the former Jamaat-e-Islami chief.
Born in 1930 in Murshidabad of undivided Indian subcontinent (now West Bengal), he completed higher secondary from Kolkata Presidency College. Later he moved to Rajshahi with his family.
After completing BA honours from Rajshahi College, he took admission in Dhaka University and completed honours (1949) and masters (1951) in history. He also obtained LLB from the DU.
During that time, he had been the vice-president of Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall Students’ Council in 1951 and played a key role in the 1952 Language Movement. He was also arrested on February 21, 1952 along with many others from a procession that was brought out defying the section 144 imposed by the Pakistani ruler.
Justice Habibur began his career as a temporary lecturer of DU history department on May 1, 1952. But he had to step down four days later for participating in the Language Movement. He also taught history at Sirajganj College, Jagannath University (formerly Jagannath College) and Rajshahi University.
He also completed honours in modern history in 1958 and masters in 1962 at Oxford University.
Justice Habibur changed his profession in 1964 when he took up law and joined the Dhaka High Court Bar. He held the offices of assistant advocate general in 1969, vice-president of the High Court Bar Association in 1972 and member of Bangladesh Bar Council the same year.
He served as a judge of the High Court Division from 1976 to 1985, Appellate Division of the Supreme Court during 1985-1995, acting chief justice 1990-1991 and as chief justice of Bangladesh in 1995.
