Former Bangladesh president Ahmed dead

By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka

Former Bangladesh president Iajuddin Ahmed, who was undergoing treatment at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, died yesterday. He was 81.

Iajuddin breathed his last at about 10:40am, family sources said. He had been put on life support at the intensive care unit (ICCU) of the hospital for the last few days after undergoing a surgery on October 28.

Later, some complications developed in his kidney and his physical condition gradually deteriorated.

Iajuddin was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition in September last.

In 2006, a successful bypass heart operation was conducted on the then president at a Singapore hospital. He was hospitalised in August last year following complaints of chest pain and was taken to Thailand for better treatment. He was flown again to Thailand as he fell sick after his return.

Born in Bikrampur of Munshiganj district in 1931, Iajuddin was a lecturer at Dhaka University.

Iajuddin, who was president of Bangladesh from 2002 to 2009, thrust himself into the charge of chief adviser to the caretaker government after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s last tenure ended in 2006, a move which political analysts say created violent political conflict. But his caretaker administration failed to resolve the political crisis and hold elections.

Iajuddin then declared state of emergency in 2007, for which he was harshly criticised. Bangladesh was forced to go through a two-year long military rule during that time.

On January 11, 2007 Iajuddin Ahmed resigned from his position as chief adviser to the caretaker government and admitted the failure of the election commission and his government in creating a proper atmosphere for the election, bestowed the responsibility on former judge Fazlul Haque temporarily, abolished the board of advisers and announced a state of emergency from that day until further announcement.

The next day, Ahmed appointed Fakhruddin Ahmed to be the new chief adviser.

Although his term as president was due to end on September 5, 2007, it was announced that he would remain in office until after the election of a new parliament, which was to, in turn, elect a new president.

He left office on February 12, 2009 when Awami League leader Zillur Rahman was sworn in to succeed him.

Prof Iajuddin was an adviser to the caretaker government in 1991. He was also the chairman of the public service commission from 1991 to 1993 and the chairman of the University Grants Commission from 1995 to 1999.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, President Zillur Rahman, Speaker Abdul Hamid and Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali expressed deep shock over the death of Iajuddin.