Adviser Hassan Ariff dies at 85

The interim government's Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, who oversaw the land ministry, and the civil aviation and tourism ministry, died today (20 December). He was 85.

He died around 3:10pm, soon after being taken to Labaid Hospital in the capital's Dhanmondi, said his personal secretary Md Nasir Uddin while talking to The Business Standard in the afternoon.

Nasir also told UNB that Ariff collapsed while having lunch at home. He was then rushed to the hospital where doctors confirmed he had suffered a cardiac arrest.

Labaid Media Manager Chowdhury Meher-e Khoda told BSS that the adviser was brought to the hospital's emergency around 3pm and the doctors declared his death at 3:35pm, after following protocols.

According to a Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism statement today, the second namaz-e-janaza of Ariff will be held in the High Court premises today at 11am.

His first namaz-e-janaza was held at the Baitul Aman Mosque at Dhanmondi Road No 7 after Isha prayers today, as per the statement.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and other members of the interim government's Advisory Council expressed profound shock and grief at Hassan Ariff's death.

They prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

A statement from the Chief Adviser's Press Wing said Prof Yunus learnt the news of Ariff's death as soon as the plane carrying him from Dubai landed in Dhaka in the afternoon.

"I am deeply shocked at his sudden demise. Adviser Hassan Ariff was a top lawyer who played a very significant role in the Interim Government," said the chief adviser in a condolence message.

He also paid rich tribute to Ariff's decades-long public service, highlighting his contributions as a former adviser of a caretaker government and attorney general of the country. 

"He will be remembered as a brilliant lawyer and for his legal activism and defending human rights of dissidents, dissenting voices, and the marginalised people of our society," the chief adviser added.

The chief adviser also rushed to the hospital in Dhanmondi from the airport to pay last respects to the late adviser.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also visited the hospital today to pay his respects to Hassan Ariff. The BNP leader arrived at the hospital around 5:30 pm and talked to the bereaved family members.

After the Awami League government was toppled by a mass uprising on 5 August, the interim government was formed three days later with Prof Yunus as the chief adviser.

Ariff was made an adviser to the interim government on 8 August, and the next day, he was given the responsibility of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives.

Later, on 27 August, he also assumed the role of adviser to the Ministry of Land.

On 10 November, he was relieved of his duties at the LGRD ministry and was assigned the responsibilities of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism alongside the land ministry.

AF Hassan Ariff was born in Kolkata in 1941. He did his secondary and higher secondary education from St Xavier's College of Kolkata. Later, he did his honours and LLB Degree from Kolkata University. 

He was a senior advocate of the Supreme Court and had been practising in Dhaka since 1970. 

Ariff had started his career from Calcutta High Court, West Bengal in 1967, and in 1970, he relocated to Dhaka, enrolling in the High Court. He later founded AF Hassan Ariff & Associates, a leading law firm with offices in Dhaka and Chattogram.

Ariff also held the office of attorney general for Bangladesh from October 2001 to April 2005.

Between January 2008 and January 2009, he served as the adviser to law, land, and religious affairs ministries during the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government's tenure.

He was a panellist in the pool of arbitrators of the Bangladesh International Arbitration Centre and Saarc Arbitration Council. Besides this, he is a court member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration.