Dhaka: AF Hassan Ariff, adviser to the ministries of land, and civil aviation and tourism, passed away today at the Labaid Specialized Hospital in Dhaka. His son, Moaz Arif, confirmed the news to journalists.
Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, public relations officer at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, said that he died at Labaid around 3:00pm.
Chowdhury Meher-e-Khuda, media manager at Labaid Specialized Hospital, said the adviser was brought to the hospital sick around 3:00pm. He was suffering from a cardiac arrest.
After examination, he was declared dead at 3:35pm, said the hospital official, adding that he was brought to the hospital dead.
Hassan Ariff was 83 years of age at the time of his death.
He was a senior advocate for the Supreme Court who had been practicing law in Bangladesh since 1970.
From October 2001 to April 2005, he served as the attorney general under the four-party alliance government led by the BNP and Jamaat.
From January 2008 to January 2009, he served as the legal adviser to the caretaker government.
Hassan Ariff began his career at the Calcutta High Court in West Bengal, India, in 1967.
After that, in 1970, he moved to Dhaka and began working as a lawyer at the High Court.
Hassan Ariff was a Court Member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
He had previously served as an adviser to the Roads and Highways Department of the Government of Bangladesh, as well as at the Chittagong Port Authority, the Mongla Port Authority, the Security Exchange Commission, the Bangladesh Bank, the Capital Development Authority, the Chittagong Development Authority, the Chittagong Stock Exchange, the University Grants Commission (UGC), Robi Axiata Limited, and Grameen Phone Bangladesh. He was also an adviser to the Dhakeshwari National Temple Complex.