Veteran lawyer and former attorney general Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, 85, has passed away.
He took his last breath at Ad-Din Women's Medical College Hospital in Dhaka at 8:30am on Saturday.
He was laid to eternal rest at Banani graveyard in the city at around 3pm following a third namaz-e-janaza at the Supreme Court premises.
The first namaz-e-janaza of Barrister Rafique was held at Ad-Deen Hospital at 10:40am and the body was later taken to his house at Paltan. His second namaz-e-janaza was held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zuhr prayers, reports BSS.
He left behind his son Barrister Fahim-ul-Haque.
On Tuesday, Barrister Rafique-ul Haque was put on life support when his condition deteriorated.
The hospital’s Director General, Dr Nahid Yasmin, said Rafique, who was also chairman of Ad-din Foundation, was admitted to the hospital with several old age complications.
He was suffering from urosepsis and lung infections apart from anaemia and low albumin, she added.
The former attorney general played a prominent role as a lawyer during the military-backed caretaker government's rule, fighting cases for Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and a number of other politicians.
In the course of his career, he worked with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Khaleda Zia and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
President, PM mourn
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have expressed profound shock and sorrow at the demise of the eminent jurist.
The president, in a condolence message, said Barrister Rafique had made huge contributions towards establishing the rule of law in the country.
“Bangladesh has lost an eminent lawyer with his death,” he said.
In a message of condolence, the prime minister said: “Barrister Rafique-ul Huq used to give advice on important issues regarding the constitution.”
The prime minister recalled Barrister Rafique’s role with due gratitude as he came forward to fight the legal battle to get her released from jail, following her arrest in 2007 by the then caretaker government in a false case, reports BSS.
Both the president and the prime minister prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed their sympathies to the bereaved family members of the eminent lawyer.
Also read - Barrister Rafique-ul Haque on life support
Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Law Minister Anisul Huq, Health Minister Zahid Maleque, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, among others, also expressed their grief at the demise of the veteran lawyer.
Born to a Muslim family in 1935, Rafique began his career as a lawyer in the Kolkata ( then Calcutta) High Court in India in 1960.
In 1962, he started practising in the Dhaka High Court, before doing so at the Pakistan Supreme Court in 1965. Rafique began working as a senior advocate of the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court in 1975.
Despite being a lawyer, he had deep connections with the medical profession owing to his family’s links with it. Besides his father, his wife Farida Huq was also a doctor. They were married in 1960.
According to relatives, the lawyer began suffering from loneliness after the death of his wife in 2011.
Although he never openly supported any political party in his professional life, politicians at different times were always by his side.
Barrister Rafique was also known for his involvement in various social and charitable causes. He was directly involved with more than 25 service-oriented organizations, including Ad-Din Medical College Hospital.
