Former minister, Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed dies

Tofail Ahmed, a long-time leader of the Awami League, died on Monday at a hospital in Dhaka at the age of 82.

According to his relatives, Tofail Ahmed, a pivotal player in Bangladesh's Liberation War and the 1969 popular uprising, passed away in Square Hospital at approximately 4:00 p.m.

From 1973 until 2024, he served as a member of parliament eight times, representing the Bhola-1, Bhola-2, and Bakerganj-1 seats.

In addition, he was the Minister of Industries and the Minister of Commerce.

Dr Taslima Ahmed Zaman Munni, his only daughter, survived him. On November 2, 2025, his wife Anwara Ahmed passed away.

Born on October 22, 1943, Tofail Ahmed served as a chief of the Bangladesh Liberation Front and was involved in the planning of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

Ahmed became a student leader in the 1969 East Pakistani mass uprising and joined the Awami League (party activities are currently prohibited) in support of the 1966 Six-point movement. He served as the Central Students' Union of Dhaka University's vice president.

In addition, he was imprisoned at Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Cumilla, Barishal, Kushtia, and Rajshahi for almost five years following 1975.

He was a veteran Parliamentarian and earned the love and respect of Parliament Members and people from all walks of life for his speeches in parliamentary debates on various national issues.

He was the Minister for Commerce and Industries from June 1996 to December 1999. He continued as the Minister for Industries until 2001 and served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Industry from 2009 to 2013. He was also the Minister for Housing & Public Works and Industries from November 2013 to January 2014.

He continued as the Minister for Commerce from January 2014 to December 2018. In 1970, he was a political secretary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.