Prison-tortured freedom fighter Engineer Mosharraf Hossain passes away

❐ Staff Reporter

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Awami League Presidium member, veteran freedom fighter and former minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain is no more. He could not recover from his illness after being subjected to extreme torture while in prison, and breathed his last while undergoing treatment.

He was 83 years old at the time of his death.

Jubo League leader Niaz Morshed Elite said he died at the capital’s Square Hospital at around 10:20 am on Wednesday. His family members were by his side at the time of his death.

Torture and persecution after arrest: The difficult chapter in the last life of a heroic freedom fighter

After the fall of the Awami League government through terrorism in July 2024, a wave of political upheaval hit the life of this veteran leader. Within days of the fall of the government, the young leader was arrested from the Bhatara police station area of ​​the capital on October 27 of that year.

After his arrest, he was transferred to Chittagong Central Jail.

He was subjected to brutality in the name of police remand and later physical and mental torture while in prison. He was not given proper treatment for various diseases related to old age. He spent his days in prison in extremely inhuman conditions. As a result, his health gradually deteriorated.

On the night of August 5, 2025, he fell seriously ill and was quickly transferred from the prison hospital to Bangabandhu Medical University Hospital. After fierce criticism in various forums at home and abroad, he was released on bail on August 14 and admitted to Square Hospital for advanced treatment. But due to extreme torture, his health could not be restored. He died there while undergoing treatment.

Academic life and political struggle

Mosharraf Hossain was born on January 12, 1943, in Dhum village of Mirsarai upazila of Chittagong into a political family. His father, S. Rahman, was a member of the Provincial Council in the 1960s. After the partition, he returned to Chittagong from Calcutta and established a business called ‘Orient Builders Corporation’.

He started his education at Chittagong Collegiate School, from where he passed his matriculation. After completing his intermediate from Sir Ashutosh Government College, he moved to West Pakistan for higher education. He obtained a degree in mining engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. The word ‘engineer’ became permanently attached to his name as a professional identity.

It was during his studies in Lahore that Mosharraf Hossain’s political consciousness developed. He was actively involved in the historic six-point movement announced by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and served as the president of the East Pakistan Students’ Council at that time.

After returning home from Lahore, he formally joined Awami League politics and was elected a member of the East Pakistan Provincial Council in 1970.

Engineer Mosharraf Hossain is survived by three sons and a daughter. Political legacy also flows through his family. His son Mahbub Rahman Ruhel was elected as a member of parliament from Chittagong-1 constituency on the Awami League nomination in the 12th National Parliament election.

Contribution to the Liberation War

Engineer Mosharraf Hossain played a courageous role in the great Liberation War of 1971. He led various important operations during the war in Sector No. 1.

After independence, he actively participated in the reconstruction of the country and went down in history as one of the framers of the 1972 Constitution.

The long journey of parliamentary and ministerial positions

Mosharraf Hossain’s success in politics was enviable. He was elected to the National Parliament six times — in 1973, 1986, 1996, 2008, 2014 and 2018 — as an Awami League candidate from the Mirsarai constituency in Chittagong. He remained a member of the Awami League’s presidium until his death.

His contribution in the ministry is no less. In the Awami League government of 1996-2001, he first held the responsibility of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, and later served as the Minister of Housing and Public Works. He also served as the Minister of the same ministry in the 2014-2019 term.

From a soldier of the Six Points to a heroic freedom fighter, from a drafter of the constitution to a six-time member of parliament — the life of Engineer Mosharraf Hossain was a living document in the political history of Bangladesh. With his death, the country lost an experienced politician and a fighting soldier of the Liberation War.

Here are various facts about the unnatural deaths of political leaders in prison custody.