Staff Reporter

The 60th death anniversary of Sher-e-Bangla Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq is being observed today in the country.

Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq, popularly known as Sher-e-Bangla (Tiger of Bengal) or Huq Saheb, died on April 27, 1962 in Dhaka.

President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages marking his death anniversary. They paid rich tributes to the late leader, recalled his struggle for economic freedom of the peasants and toiling people of the country, and prayed for eternal peace of his departed soul.

Both the president and PM also mentioned AK Fazlul Huq’s exceptional leadership, personality and political wisdom.

Different political organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes to mark the day maintaining proper health guidelines.

They laid floral tributes to the great leader and offer prayers at his grave adjacent to Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka at 9:00am.

Born on October 26 in 1873 at his maternal uncle’s house at Saturia in the then Bakerganj district, now Jhalakathi of Barishal Division, Fazlul Huq was one of the most popular public leaders of this region during his active years.

He became the secretary of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League and joint secretary of the All India Muslim League in 1913 and continued his duty till 1916. Huq also served as the president of the All India Muslim League from 1916 to 1921.

He had held many high political posts, including the mayor of Calcutta (1935), chief minister of undivided Bengal (1937-1943) and East Bengal (1954), home minister of Pakistan (1955) and governor of East Pakistan (1956-58).

The Tiger of Bengal also moved the famous Lahore Resolution in 1940.