Chairman of a faction of Jatiya Party and former prime minister, Kazi Zafar Ahmed passed away in Dhaka on Thursday morning. He was 76.
He was suffering from various diseases, including diabetes and kidney malfunctioning.
A personal assistant to the veteran politician, Kamruzzaman Rony, confirmed his death news to Prothom Alo.
He said as Kazi Zafar was found unconscious in his room on Thursday morning, he was taken to the capital’s United Hospital where the on-duty doctors declared him dead.
Kamruzzaman added that Kazi Zafar was scheduled to attend a rally of his party’s activists in Comillia today, Thursday.
Kazi Zafar, who earned reputation as left student leader in the 1960s, served as commerce minister, deputy prime minister and finally prime minister in the Gen HM Ershad's regime.
Ershad, chairman of the Jatiya Party, suspended Kazi Zafar in 2013 over an altercation regarding polls-time government. Kazi Zafar then threatened Ershad to suspend him from the party.
On 8 March, 2015, the faction of Jatiya Party led by Kazi Zafar Ahmed joined the BNP-led alliance.