The third death anniversary of former Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam will be observed today.
Marking the day, Awami League will pay homage to Syed Ashraf by placing wreaths on his grave at Banani in the capital.
On January 3 in 2019, Syed Ashraf, also the then Public Administration Minister, died at the age of 68 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bangkok. He had been suffering from lung cancer.
Ashraf was born in Mymensingh in 1952. His father Syed Nazrul Islam was acting President of Mujibnagar Government in 1971 and one of the key
organisers of Bangladesh independence struggle.
Ashraf took part in the 1971 Liberation War while he was an active freedom fighter who was trained in Dehradun in India.
He was actively involved in student politics. After the country's independence, he was General Secretary of Mymensingh District Chhatro League
and also served as Assistant Publicity Secretary of Central Student League.
On November 3 in 1975, his father Syed Nazrul Islam and three national leaders were brutally killed in Dhaka Central Jail. After the incident, Syed
Ashraf went to London and organised the Bangladesh Awami League in the UK.
Ashraf elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) after coming back home in 1996. He served as the State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry
during 1996-2001. He also elected in 2001 elections as a MP and served himself as a member of Foreign Affairs Standing Committee in the Parliament.
In 2008, Syed Ashraf further elected as a lawmaker and appointed as the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister. He took over the charge of Public Administration Ministry on July 16, 2015.
Although Ashraf was absent during the 11th national elections, he was elected as a MP from Kishoreganj-1 constituency. He was also engaged in various social activities.