Adviser AF Hassan Ariff passes: CA, Advisers, leaders mourn

Hassan Ariff, Adviser to the Interim Government, is dead._11zon

Dhaka, Dec 20 - Adviser to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the Ministry of Land, AF Hassan Ariff, passed away at a hospital in the capital on Friday. He was 85.

Mohammad Nasir Uddin, his personal secretary, told UNB that Ariff collapsed while having lunch at home earlier today.

He was rushed to the hospital where doctors confirmed he had suffered a cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at 3:10 pm.

Ariff’s first namaz-e-janaza will be held at Baitul Aman Mosque on Dhanmondi Road 7 after the Isha prayers this evening.

Another janaza will be held at the High Court premises at 11 am on Saturday, according to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry’s notification.

Ariff was appointed as an adviser to the interim government on August 8. The following day, he was entrusted with overseeing the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD).

On August 27, he took on additional responsibilities as the adviser to the Ministry of Land.

On November 10, he was released from the LGRD Ministry and tasked with managing the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism while continuing to oversee the Land Ministry.

AF Hassan Ariff had a distinguished legal career spanning over five decades. He began his practice at the Calcutta High Court in 1967.

In 1970, he relocated to Dhaka, enrolling in the High Court, and later founded AF Hassan Ariff & Associates, a leading law firm with offices in Dhaka and Chattogram.

He served as Bangladesh's Attorney General from October 2001 to April 2005 and as the Law Adviser (Cabinet Minister) of the Caretaker Government from January 2008 to January 2009.

An authority in constitutional law, commercial arbitration and public procurement, Ariff was a panelist at the Bangladesh International Arbitration Centre (BIAC), SAARC Arbitration Council and Shanghai Arbitration Commission. He also held the position of Court Member at the ICC International Court of Arbitration.

He advised numerous government and corporate entities, including the Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh Bank, and Chittagong Port Authority, along with telecom giants Robi Axiata and Grameenphone.

Beyond his legal practice, he was a resource person for the Bangladesh Bar Council’s Continuing Legal Education and Human Rights Training Program and a prominent member of the International Business Forum of Bangladesh.

In 2010, he led the Election Observer Mission for the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) in Manila, Philippines. 

President Shahabuddin, Chief Adviser Yunus mourn

President Mohammed Shahabuddin has expressed deep shock over the death of AF Hassan Ariff, Adviser to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the Ministry of Land.

In a condolence message, the President said that his death is an irreparable loss for Bangladesh.

The President prayed for the eternal peace of the deceased's soul and expressed his deepest condolences to his bereaved family.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has expressed deep shock and sorrow over the death of Adviser Hassan Ariff, who passed away on Friday.

The Chief Adviser received the news of Hassan Ariff’s death upon his arrival in Dhaka from Dubai late Friday afternoon.

In a condolence message, Prof Yunus said, “I am deeply shocked at his sudden demise. Adviser Hassan Ariff was a top lawyer who played a very significant role in the interim government.”

He paid tribute to Hassan Ariff’s decades of public service, highlighting his contributions as a former adviser of a caretaker government and attorney general of the country.

“He will be remembered as a brilliant lawyer and for his legal activism and defending human rights of dissidents, dissenting voices, and the marginalised people of our society,” the Chief Adviser added.

Prof Yunus conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul. Following his arrival, the Chief Adviser visited Labaid Hospital in Dhanmondi to pay his last respects to the late adviser.

Adviser to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain in separate messages mourned Adviser Hassan Ariff’s death, prayed for the salvation of his soul and sympathized with the members of his bereaved family.

Mirza Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited Labaid Specialised Hospital on Friday to pay his respects to the interim government adviser AF Hassan Ariff, who passed away in the afternoon.

The BNP leader arrived at the hospital around 5:30 pm and talked to the bereaved family members.

He visited the mortal remains of the adviser to show his respect.

Later, speaking to reporters, Fakhrul described Hassan Ariff as not only a renowned lawyer but also a man who deeply believed in democracy. – GreenWatch News Desk with UNB