PM’s former adviser Dr SA Malek passes away

Former political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangabandhu Parishad President Dr SA Malek passed away yesterday.

He died of a massive heart attack at a city hospital on Tuesday night. He was 88.

Malek, also former lawmaker from Faridpur-1 constituency, breathed his last at the ICU of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital at 11:30pm.

He was laid to rest in Martyred Intellectual Graveyard in Mirpur after two namaj-e-janazas.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock and sorrow at his death.

Malek is survived by two sons and two daughters, a host of relatives and admirers.

He was also the senior most member of Awami League Advisory Council.

Born on August 18, 1936 in Tangail, Malek obtained his MBBS degree from Dhaka Medical College.

He took an active part in all the democratic movements of the country.

In 1973, he was elected parliament member as the Awami League nominee from Faridpur-1 (Goalondo-Rajbari) constituency.

Malek played a very vital role in putting up a resistance movement after Bangabandhu was brutally killed along with most of his family members on August 15, 1975.

For this reason, he was compelled to take refugee outside of the country at one stage. After returning home in 1980, he concentrated on properly reorganising the Bangabandhu Parishad.

He performed the responsibility of its general secretary for the last two and a half decades and presently was performing as its president.

Malek was made the political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 1996.