PM's special assistant Shakil dies

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s special assistant Mahbubul Haque Shakil died of cardiac arrest at a Japanese restaurant in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon. He was 47.

Shakil breathed his last at Samdado Restaurant in capital’s Gulshan in the noon.

Gulshan police, later, detained five workers of the restaurant, but it was not known immediately why they were picked up.

When contacted, the Gulshan police station officer-in-charge, Sirajul Islam, declined to talk to this correspondent.

Former vice president of ruling Awami League's student front Bangladesh Chhara League, Shakil was known to be a trusted man at the prime minister's office.

The prime minister's assistant press secretary Asif Kabir confirmed the news of his death to Prothom Alo.

Shakil left behind his wife and a daughter.
The UNB report adds: Shakil was first appointed as PM’s deputy press sectary after AL came to power in 2009 and later appointed as PM’s special assistant (Media) and PM’s special assistant in 2014.

After hearing about Shakil’s death, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid, PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim, PM's military secretary major general Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif and its organising secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, among others, rushed to the restaurant.

Talking to reporters at the restaurant, Nasrul Hamid said Shakil’s body will be kept at BIRDEM Hospital mortuary tonight.

His first namaz-e-janaza will be held on the Dhaka University campus at 11:00am on Wednesday.

Later, Shakil will be buried at a graveyard at Bagmara, Mymensingh on the day, said the junior minister.

Born on 20 December 1968 in Tangail, Shakil obtained honours and master’s degrees from the sociology department of Dhaka University.

He passed SSC from Mymensingh Zilla School and HSC from Ananda Mohan College in the district.

Meanwhile, prime minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the demise of Shakil, said Ihsanul Karim.