Tofail Ahmed laid to rest beside parents' grave in Bhola

Veteran politician, one of the key organisers of the 1969 Mass Uprising and the Liberation War, and former Industries and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed was laid to rest beside his parents' grave in his ancestral village in Bhola on Tuesday (June 2), following funeral prayers attended by thousands of mourners from across the political spectrum.

The funeral prayer was held after Zuhr prayers at Bhola Government High School ground, where leaders and activists from various political parties, admirers, and local residents gathered to pay their final respects to the senior Awami League leader.

Speaking to reporters, Tofail Ahmed’s brother-in-law Alamgir Talukdar said the veteran politician’s body was flown to Bhola by helicopter in the morning before being taken to the funeral venue. Following the janaza, he was buried at the family graveyard in Koralia village under South Dighaldi Union of Bhola Sadar Upazila, in accordance with his wish to be laid to rest beside his parents.

“People from all walks of life, including leaders and activists of different political parties, joined the funeral prayer to honor his memory and contributions,” Talukdar said.

From noon onwards, mourners began arriving at the school ground, many of whom reflected on Tofail Ahmed’s long political career and his enduring commitment to the development of Bhola.

Local residents recalled his role in advancing infrastructure and development projects in the district over several decades. They also noted that he had expressed a desire during his lifetime to be buried alongside his parents in his native village.

A resident of Bhola Sadar, requesting anonymity, said Tofail Ahmed consistently emphasised the importance of local development to elected representatives from the district, regardless of political affiliation. “His attachment to Bhola was genuine, and his contributions to the district will be remembered for generations,” he said.

Meanwhile, leaders of local BNP-affiliated organisations also attended the funeral and expressed condolences. Bhola District Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal General Secretary Nur Mohammad Rubel said their organisation helped facilitate the funeral arrangements, describing it as a humanitarian gesture in honor of a respected national figure.

Tofail Ahmed passed away on Monday afternoon while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka. He was 82.

Born on October 22, 1943, in Bhola, Tofail Ahmed emerged as one of the most prominent student leaders of the 1960s and served as Vice President of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) from 1967 to 1969. He is widely remembered for announcing the conferment of the title “Bangabandhu” on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at a historic rally on February 23, 1969.

His death has prompted an outpouring of grief from political, social and cultural circles across the country, marking the end of a significant chapter in Bangladesh’s political history.