Former Awami League minister Mosharraf Hossain dies at 83

Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, a presidium member of the now-banned Awami League, former housing and public works minister, and former member of parliament for Chattogram-1, died this morning (13 May) at the age of 83.

He breathed his last at around 10:15am while undergoing treatment at Square Hospital in the capital, confirmed Habib Khan, personal assistant to Mahboob Rahman, the late politician's son.

Mosharraf had been suffering from several age-related complications and had been receiving treatment at the hospital for the past few days.

According to family sources, his first funeral prayer will be held at Azad Mosque in Dhaka at 5pm today. The second funeral prayer will take place tomorrow (14 May) at 11am at the Jamiatul Falah National Mosque grounds in Chattogram, while the third funeral prayer will be held at 5pm at the grounds of Mirsarai Mahajanhat College. He will later be buried at the family graveyard.

Following the fall of the Awami League government in 2024, he faced 12 cases, including charges related to murder. He had been in custody since 27 October 2024 in connection with those cases.

His family appealed to the interim government for his release through a formal letter as his health was deteriorating. 

On 14 August last year, he was released after securing bail in all the cases filed against him.

Born on 12 January 1943 in Dhoom union, Mosharraf, also a freedom fighter, was awarded the Independence Award in 2019 for his contribution to the Liberation War.

He was elected a member of parliament from the Chattogram-1 (Mirsarai) constituency in 1973, 1986, 1996, 2008, 2014 and 2018. During different terms of the Awami League government, he held several key positions. In 1996, he served as the minister for civil aviation and tourism. Later, he also served as the minister for housing and public works.

He also served as the No. 1 presidium member of the Bangladesh Awami League, one of the party's highest policymaking positions.