Z Alam no more

Former FIFA referee Zohurul Alam, popularly known as Z Alam, died of old-age complications at the Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital and Research Institute yesterday.

The former referee was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday following deterioration of his health. He breathed his last yesterday noon. He was 91.

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He left behind two sons, three daughters and a host of well-wishers.

Z Alam, the first FIFA instructor from Bangladesh, conducted a lot of domestic and international matches including the Pre-Olympic Games in 1971, Merdeka Cup in Malaysia in 1973, Kings Cup in Thailand and Asian Youth Championship in 1978 during his long career from 1955 to 1980. He became a FIFA panel referee in 1968.

Z Alam was also secretary of the Bangladesh Football Federation's referees' committee from 1982 to 2003. He also served as the vice president of Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation from 1990 to 2005.

His first namaz-e-Janaza was held at the Wari Mosque after Magrib prayers. He was supposed to be laid to rest at his family graveyard in Motobi under Feni Sadar Upazila last night.