DHAKA, July 30, 2021 (BSS) - A number of ministers and state ministers today expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of Member of Parliament (MP) from Cumilla-7 constituency, former Deputy Speaker and valiant Freedom Fighter Professor Md Ali Ashraf.

In separate condolence messages, they prayed for eternal peace of his departed soul and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family members.

The cabinet members who condoled Ashraf's death are Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque , Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque, Planning Minister MA Mannan, Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi Bir Protik, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujon, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin and Social Welfare Minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed.
     
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mohammad Mahbub Ali, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam, State Minister for Local Government Rural Development and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharya, State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian, State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossen and State Minister of the Ministry of Social Welfare Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru also expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of former deputy speaker and Awami League leader Professor Md Ali Ashraf.

Besides, lawmaker Waseqa Ayesha Khan, also the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, expressed deep grief over the death of Ali Ashraf.

Ali Ashraf breathed his last at Square Hospital in the city at around 3.30 pm today at the age of 74.

He was elected lawmaker for five times from Cumilla.

He was elected an MP in the country's first parliamentary elections in 1973 from Cumilla-11 constituency. Later, he was elected from Cumilla-7 in 1996, 2008, 2014 and 2018 general elections.

Ashraf was elected Deputy Speaker of the 7th Jatiya Sangsad in 2001.