Veteran Bangladeshi politician Ramesh Chandra Sen died on Saturday after falling ill during his custody at the District Jail in Dinajpur, reported local media. He was 86 years old. His death comes just days before the February 12 parliamentary elections in the neighbouring nation.
Sen was a senior leader of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League and had also served as the country's water resource minister. A former member of parliament (MP), Sen was brought to the Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital around 9.30 am on Saturday, where he was declared by the doctors. Officials said Sen was suffering health ailments for past few days.
"Ramesh Chandra Sen was brought to Dinajpur District Jail on 17 August. He was a division prisoner here and had been ill even before being transferred to the jail. When his condition suddenly deteriorated at around 9:00 am on Saturday, he was taken to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital. We later received the news of his death," Prothom Alo quoted Dinajpur Jail Superintendent Farhad Sarkar as saying.
Who was Ramesh Chandra Sen?
Born on April 30, 1940, to Kshitindra Mohan Sen and Balashwari Sen in Ruhia Union of Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, Ramesh Chandra Sen was a senior leader in the currently banned Awami League. He held several posts in the Hasina government, including the adviser of the Awami League. From 2009 to 2014, he served as Bangladesh's water resources minister.
He was also a five-time MP. He was first elected to the Parliament in 1997 following a by-poll in the Thakurgaon-1 constituency. He was elected again from the same seat in 2008, 2014, 2018 and 2024. After Hasina's ouster, Sen was jailed in August 2024. Since then, he was kept at the Dinajpur District Jail.
Bangladesh elections
Sen's death comes just days before the general elections in Bangladesh. The polling will be held on February 12 and the results will be declared afterwards. The elections are going to be crucial for Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus' interim government. Several surveys, however, have claimed that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is leading in the polls and may form the next government.
