PM’s special assistant Shakil passes away
Mahbubul Hoque Shakil, the special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, died of cardiac arrest in Dhaka today. He was 47.
Shakil breathed his last at a restaurant in Gulshan area of Dhaka around noon, sources said.
Also a former vice president and organising secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Shakil was the deputy press secretary to the AL chief since the 1/11 political changeover.
Shakil hailing from Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh was made special assistant (media) to PM with the status of joint secretary on contractual appointment in 2012.
He left behind his wife Nilufar Yasmin, daughter Rubaba Yasmin and relatives, friends and admirers to mourn his death.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the death of Shakil.
The premier also prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved family.
Hearing the news of the death, many senior leaders of the ruling Awami League and its front and associate bodies went to the spot to show their sympathy.
The body will be kept in the mortuary of BIRDEM hospital tonight, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, organising secretary of Awami League, told The Daily Star.
His autopsy will be performed at Dhaka Medical College tomorrow morning.
Later, a namaz-e-janaza of the deceased will be held at Dhaka University Central Mosque around 11:00am, he added.
The second namaz-e-janaza of Shakil will be held at Mymensingh and then he will be buried at his family graveyard on the same day.
Shakil admitted to the sociology department of Dhaka University in 1986-87 education sessions.
Later, he took part in the movement to oust the then autocratic ruler HM Ershad from power as a member of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Khalid said.
Within the span of two years, Shakil was elected as general secretary of Sir F Rahman Hall unit of BCL. And then, he became a member of BCL central committee in the next year.
Shakil was elected as general secretary of the BCL through its council in 1992. But he was appointed as organising secretary of the BCL.
Shakil was elected as vice president of the BCL in 1994.
In 1998, he also worked as chief executive officer (CEO) of Centre for Research and Information (CRI) of Awami League.
In 2002, Shakil was appointed as deputy press secretary of the media wing of the then leader of opposition Sheikh Hasina as BNP shut down the CRI after it came to power.
In the same year, he was appointed as assistant secretary of Awami League Central Sub-Committee.
Later, Shakil played a key role when the CRI resumed its operation.
He was appointed as deputy press secretary to the prime minister in 2009.
Later, he was appointed as special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2014.
Shakil used to write speeches and messages of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on different occasions and accompanied her during her different foreign trips.
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