Former president Shahabuddin laid to rest

Former president Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed has been laid to eternal rest at Dhaka's Banani graveyard.

Supreme Court Spokesman Md Saifur Rahman said he was buried at around 12:15pm Sunday.

His body was taken to the graveyard after his second namaz-e-janaza at the National Eidgah ground.

Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, former chief justices Syed Mahmud Hossain and Md Muzammel Hossain. Judges, former colleagues, lawyers, political leaders, Justice Shahabuddin's family members and people from all walks of life attended the janaza to pay their last tribute.

All judicial functions of the Appellate and High Court Divisions were suspended for today in the honour of Justice Shahabuddin.

The 92-year-old breathed his last at around 10:30am on Saturday while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka since 23 February.

The first namaz-e-janaza of the former president was held on the same day at his hometown Pemoi village in Paikura union of Netrokona's Kendua upazila.

Former CJ Shahabuddin Ahmed led the caretaker government after the fall of military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad.

Shahabuddin was made president after Awami League came to power in 1996.

The son of a renowned social worker, he obtained a BA in Economics in 1951 and MA in International Relations in 1952 from Dhaka University.

He entered the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) in 1954, successfully completing training at the Lahore Civil Service Academy.

He also attended a special course on Public Administration at Oxford University.

He was promoted to the post of additional deputy commissioner after serving as a magistrate and then the sub-divisional officer of Gopalganj and Natore.

He was transferred to the judicial branch in June 1960 and served as additional district and sessions judge in Dhaka and Barishal and as district and sessions judge of Cumilla and Chattogram and then appointed as the registrar of the High Court (HC) in 1967.

In 1972, he was elevated to the bench as a judge of the HC. He was appointed as an Appellate Division judge eight years later.