Desk Report:
Tofail Ahmed, a student leader of the 1960s, organizer of the 1969 mass uprising and the 1971 Liberation War, a senior leader of the Awami League and former minister, is still alive. However, his condition is ‘critical’, according to his daughter’s son-in-law Dr. Towhiduzzaman.
Towhiduzzaman told Ajker newspaper after 11 pm on Saturday (October 4), ‘His condition deteriorated around 8 pm; his pressure and pulse had decreased. It has settled down again. His condition is critical. It has deteriorated more than before. But he is still alive.’
Meanwhile, rumors about Tofail Ahmed’s death have been spreading on social media for the past few days. Later, when his former personal assistant, who was in the hospital, was contacted on his mobile phone, it was learned that Tofail Ahmed is still on life support.
Earlier, a news of his death was also shared on the official Facebook page of the Awami League. His relatives called the matter ‘painful’.
The former personal assistant said that Tofail Ahmed is still on life support. If anything happens, the family will inform him.
Tofail Ahmed was admitted to the capital’s Square Hospital on September 27 due to various physical problems related to old age. He has been using a wheelchair for several years. It is known that part of his body has become paralyzed due to a stroke.
Tofail Ahmed was born on October 22, 1943, in Koralia village of Dakshin Dighaldi Union of Sadar Upazila of Bhola district. After passing his higher secondary from Brajmohan College in Barisal, he did his graduation and post-graduation in soil science from Dhaka University.
Tofail was the VP of DUCSU during the turbulent period of 1968-69. As such, he served as the convener of the All-Party Student Sangram Parishad. He played a leading role in the student community during the mass uprising of 1969.
Due to a strong public movement, the Pakistani government was forced to release all the accused in the Agartala conspiracy case, including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 1969. On February 23 of that year, the Central Student Movement Council organized a public meeting at the Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in Dhaka.
Sheikh Mujib was awarded the title of ‘Bangabandhu’ at that rally of millions of people. And that title was announced by Tofail Ahmed.
Tofail won the 1970 election by participating in the National Council election on the nomination of the Awami League. In the 1971 Liberation War, he was one of the four regional heads of Mujib’s army.
Tofail Ahmed was elected a member of the National Parliament 9 times in independent Bangladesh. He was most recently an MP from the Bhola-1 constituency.
After serving as the Organizing Secretary of the Awami League for a long time, Tofail Ahmed later became a member of the Presidium. He is currently a member of the party’s Advisory Council.
After Bangladesh gained independence in 1972, the then Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman appointed Tofail Ahmed as his political secretary with the rank of Minister of State.
When the Awami League returned to power in 1996, Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina appointed Tofail as the government’s Minister of Industry and Commerce. Later, he served as the Minister of Commerce again from 2014 to 2019.
