Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, a former Awami League general secretary, has been laid to rest after his colleagues, supporters and well-wishers in Dhaka, Kishoreganj and Mymensingh paid their final tributes on Sunday (Jan 6).

The 67-year-old veteran politician lost the battle with lung cancer at the Bumrungrad Hospital in Thailand on night of Thursday (Jan 3).

His death came just four days after he was elected the lawmaker from Kishoreganj-1. He had been a parliamentarian in the constituency since 1996.

Syed Ashraf’s mortal remains were flown in to Dhaka on Saturday (Jan 5) and taken to his official residence at Dhaka’s Bailey Road before it was kept at the mortuary of the Combined Military Hospital.

It was taken to South Plaza of the parliamentary building at 10am on Sunday for his first funeral prayers.

President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths on his coffin, which was draped with the national flag and the Awami League’s party flag.

Thousands of Awami League leaders, activists and supporters participated in the service, to pay their last respects to the veteran leader, who had been at the helm of the party through the difficult times of emergency regime, when party chief Hasina was put behind the bars by the military-backed caretaker administration.

He was given a “guard of honour” on behalf of the Dhaka district administration after the prayer service.

After the service, the mortal remains of Syed Ashraf were flown to Kishoreganj where a second funeral service was held at 12pm.

A third funeral prayer was held at Mymensingh’s Anjuman Eidgah ground before it was flown back to Dhaka for burial at the Dhaka’s Banani graveyard.

Syed Ashraf had been suffering from lung cancer for a long time. He was flown to Thailand for treatment in July last year.

The public administration minister took his leave of absence from parliament on Sept 18 last year.

He became a member of parliament from Kishoreganj-1 as the Awami League candidate in 1996 after returning home. He was also re-elected in 2001, 2008 and 2014.

Even though Ashraf was absent during the 11th National Election on Dec 30, he emerged the winner at Kishoreganj seats.

The news of his death news came hours after a letter sought more time from Speaker Shirin Sharmin on Thursday for the Awami League leader to take oath of office as a member of parliament.

Syed Ashraf, the son of Syed Nazrul Islam, one of the four national leaders killed in jail in 1975, left for the United Kingdom shortly after his father’s assassination and returned before the 1996 election.

He served as the state minister for civil aviation and tourism in Hasina-led 1996-2001 administration.

During the emergency rule in 2007, Ashraf took charge of the Awami League when Hasina was detained by the army-backed caretaker administration. The party took the helm of power sweeping the results of election held in 2008.

He was made the general secretary in the next council of the Awami League. He served two terms as general secretary and became a presidium member.

Syed Ashraf was still holding the office of public administration minister and serving as a member of the party’s policymaking forum before his death. 

He fell ill after losing his wife Sheila Islam to cancer in 2017. They are survived by their daughter Reema Islam.