Seven-time MP Dabirul Islam dies

Former Member of Parliament for Thakurgaon-2, veteran politician and freedom fighter Alhaj Dabirul Islam has passed away at the age of 77.

He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka on Thursday, the day of Eid-ul-Azha.

Born on 29 September 1948 in Barobari village of Baliadangi upazila in Thakurgaon district, Dabirul Islam became involved in politics during his student years.

He began his political career with the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) before joining the Awami League, where he emerged as a prominent political figure in northern Bangladesh.

Dabirul Islam holds the rare distinction of being elected Member of Parliament from the Thakurgaon-2 constituency seven times consecutively.

He was first elected in the third parliamentary election in 1986 and again in the fifth parliamentary election in 1991 as a CPB candidate. After joining the Awami League, he won the parliamentary seat five more times in the 1996, 2001, 2008, 2014 and 2018 national elections under the party’s boat symbol.

During his parliamentary career, he chaired several important standing committees, including those related to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry, Housing and Public Works Ministry, Social Welfare Ministry, and Science and Technology Ministry.

He also served for many years as president of the Thakurgaon District Awami League.

Following the political changeover in the country on 5 August 2024, several cases were filed against him. Police arrested him on 3 October that year.

After spending a lengthy period in custody, he was released on bail in May this year. He was later taken to Dhaka for advanced treatment after falling ill, where he died while undergoing treatment.