Veteran politician and Liberation War organizer Tofael Ahmed laid to rest in Bhola

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Tofael Ahmed, a veteran politician and a key organizer of Bangladesh’s Liberation War, was laid to rest in his home district of Bhola on Tuesday. The 82-year-old statesman, who died while undergoing treatment at a Dhaka hospital on Monday following a long battle with age-related health complications, was buried beside his parents and late wife at the family graveyard in Koralia village.

The funeral proceedings began in the morning as residents across his native South Dighaldi Union gathered to pay their final respects. Following an initial funeral prayer in the capital, his remains were transported by helicopter to Bhola on Tuesday afternoon. A second funeral service was held at the Bhola Government Boys’ High School grounds shortly after 2:00 p.m., where he was accorded a guard of honor by local district and police administrations.

The ceremony at the school grounds saw a significant turnout, though it was marked by brief moments of tension. Local members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its associate organizations staged a protest at the site, demanding the service be moved to his village home and calling for the removal of structures erected for the event. The situation was eventually de-escalated through the intervention of senior local BNP leadership, who arrived on-site to restore order. Despite the political friction, representatives from various parties, including the BNP and Awami League, attended the service to honor the late leader.

A final funeral prayer took place at 4:00 p.m. on the grounds of his residence in Koralia, leading to his interment an hour later.

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Born on October 22, 1943, in Koralia, Tofael Ahmed began his political career as a student leader. He emerged as a significant figure in national politics for his pivotal role in the 1969 Mass Uprising. As a close associate of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he played a vital part in the movement for independence and the country’s subsequent political development.

His legislative career began in 1970 when, at the age of 27, he was elected to the Pakistan National Assembly from the Daulatkhan-Tajumuddin-Manpura constituency. Throughout his decades-long career, he served in several ministerial capacities and held a seat on the Awami League’s advisory council until his death.