Shawdesh Desk:

Former Deputy Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Colonel (Retd) Shawkat Ali passed away at a hospital in the capital on Monday morning. He was 83.

He breathed his last around 9:30 am while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital, with various old age complications, said Tarique Mahmud, director (media) of Jatiya Sangsad.

Shawkat Ali was the number 26 accused in the historic  ‘Agartala Conspiracy Case’ which was filed against Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1969 by the then Pakistani rulers.

He had to live with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in jail due to the case.

Shawkat was elected MP from Shariatpur-2 constituency six times. He was the founding chairman of Muktijoddha Sanghati Parishad and chief advisor of 71 Foundation.

The body of Shawkat will be kept at Shaheed Minar around 3:30 pm where people from all of walks of life will pay their last respect to him.

The namaz-e-janaza of Shawakat Ali will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Maghrib prayer.

Later, his body will be taken  to Naria in Shariatpur district by a helicopter around 10 am on Tuesday where he will be buried at his family graveyard following a namaz-e-janaza.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the demise Shawkat Ali.

She prayed for eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.