Educationist Dilara Hafiz dies at 77

Veteran educator Dilara Hafiz, the wife of Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, died while undergoing treatment in Singapore yesterday.

She was 77.

Survived by her husband, son, daughter, grandchildren, and a host of admirers, she breathed her last at Singapore General Hospital at 11:29am local time.

Her body will be brought back to Bangladesh this evening (March 29), after which her namaz-e-janaza will be held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad tomorrow at 11:00am, the parliament secretariat said in a release.

Dilara Hafiz was born on January 2, 1949, in Sunamganj. Her father was Mohammad Abul Hossain Chowdhury and her mother was Karimunnesa Khatun Chowdhury.

She obtained her master’s degree in history from the University of Dhaka in 1969 and then began her career as a lecturer at Government Eden College.

Later, she served as principal of Eden College, held positions at Suhrawardy College, and went on to serve as chair of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board and as director general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.

President Mohammad Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, along with opposition leaders, expressed their condolences over Dilara’s passing.

Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal, Chief Whip Nurul Islam, other whips, lawmakers, and officials and staff of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat also expressed deep shock and sorrow.

Expressing profound sorrow, President Shahabuddin, in a condolence message, prayed for the eternal peace of her departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family, reports BSS.

“The nation will remember with gratitude the outstanding contribution of the late Dilara Hafiz in the field of the country’s education,” he wrote.

In a separate message, Prime Minister Tarique said late Dilara Hafiz was a distinguished educationist and social worker. “With her death, the nation has lost a noble educationist.”

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman conveyed his heartfelt sympathies to the family of the deceased. “As a spouse, she made notable contributions to her family and society, which will be remembered with respect,” he added.