AL leader Suranjit passes awayVeteran Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta passed away at LabaidHospital in the capital early Sunday.

The 71-year-old leader breathed his last around 4:24am, said AL general secretary Obaidul Quader.

UNB adds: He was admitted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of the hospital on February 3.

Suranjit left behind wife Dr Joya Sengupta, son Soumen Sengupta, a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death. 

Suranjit's body was taken to his Zigatola residence in the city and it will be taken the SouthPlaza of the National Parliament around 3pm for paying homage by MPs and leaders.

The body will then be taken to Sylhet around 9am on Monday, Quader said.

Later, it will be taken to Suranjit's ancestral home in Dirai upazila of Sumanganj around 3pm for funeral, he added.

"He (Suranjit) was a lively person in our political history. I think he was a number one parliamentarian. A huge vacuum has been created with his death," Quader said while briefing journalists.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the death of Suranjit Sengupta, an MP from Sunamganj-2 constituency as well as the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.

Born on May 5, 1946 at Anwarpur village in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj district, Suranjit passed SSC from Dirai High School and HSC from Sylhet MC College and later completed his graduation and post-graduation in History from Dhaka University.

He received LLB degree from Central Law College and started his career as a lawyer.

Suranjit had got engaged with leftist politics during his student life. Later, he joined Awami League.

The veteran politician was elected member of parliament for eight times in the post-liberation period.

Suranjit was a member of 34-member Constitution Drafting Committee, formed after the Liberation War.

He was a commander of Tekerghat sub-sector under Sector-five in Sylhet district as he took part in the Liberation War in 1971 directly.

TF