Veteran politician and former Speaker dies
Bangladesh mourns veteran politician Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, former Speaker, dead at 94
Key Points
Supreme Court suspended proceedings in both the Appellate Division and High Court Division for the second half of the day as a mark of respect to Barrister Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar.
One of Sircar’s sons, Nawshad Zamir, is a current BNP Member of Parliament representing Panchagarh-1.
Sircar served as Acting President from June 2002 to September 2002, following the death of former President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury.
Earlier in his career, he held executive roles as a state minister under President Ziaur Rahman and later as a cabinet minister in Khaleda Zia’s government.
Hours before his death, Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal visited Sircar at the hospital, underscoring the high-profile attention to his health in his final days.
Barrister Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, a towering figure in Bangladesh's legal and political life, died in the early hours of Sunday at the Bangladesh Specialized Hospital in Dhaka. He was 94 years old. BSS News reported he passed away at around 4:18 am after a long battle with age-related illnesses.
Sircar served as Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad from 2001 to 2009 and briefly as Acting President from June to September 2002. His death has drawn condolences from the country's top leaders, judges, and political figures.
From Panchagarh to Parliament's Highest Chair
Sircar was born on December 1, 1931, in Tetulia, Panchagarh. He built a career that spanned decades of Bangladesh's political and legal history. He began as a state minister under President Ziaur Rahman. He later rose to full cabinet rank under Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, holding senior portfolios including Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Education, and Lands, according to BSS News.
He reached the peak of his political career when the BNP-led government elected him Speaker in 2001. He held that post until 2009. In mid-2002, following the death of President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, Sircar stepped in as Acting President — a role he filled for roughly three months. He remained a BNP Standing Committee member until his death.
Prime Minister and Chief Justice Lead National Mourning
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed "profound shock and sorrow" at Sircar's passing, according to BSS News. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury also issued a formal condolence, calling him a "senior lawyer" and distinguished public servant. The sitting Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, joined the chorus of tributes.
The Chief Justice issued a personal condolence message, mourning the loss of a fellow legal mind. The Supreme Court suspended proceedings in both the Appellate Division and High Court Division for the second half of the day as a mark of respect. Hours before Sircar's death, Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal had visited him at the hospital.
A Political Dynasty: Son Serves in Parliament Today
Sircar leaves behind two sons, a daughter, and extended family. His son Nawshad Zamir currently serves as a BNP Member of Parliament for Panchagarh-1, carrying the family's political legacy into the next generation. The connection between father and son reflects the deep roots the Sircar family holds in their home district.
Full State Honours Planned at Parliament Complex
Sircar will be laid to rest with full state honours at the Jatiya Sangsad Complex in Dhaka, according to Views Bangladesh. Funeral prayers are being organised there before his burial. The choice of the Parliament Complex reflects the scale of respect Bangladesh's political establishment holds for the former Speaker and Acting President.
Tributes from the Supreme Court Bar Association and BNP circles described him as a veteran jurist and statesman. His death closes a chapter that stretched from Bangladesh's earliest post-independence years to the present day — a career of more than five decades in law and politics.
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