BNP Standing Committee member Rafiqul Islam Miah was placed on life support on Thursday evening after his condition deteriorated, according to his personal political secretary.
Moksedur Rahman Abir said the 85-year-old BNP leader was placed on life support at 7:20pm at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
“Although doctors decided in the afternoon to place him on life support, the procedure was delayed until his eldest son Dr Masrur Rafik Miah arrived from London and met his father,” Moksedur Rahman told reporters.
He said Rafiqul Islam Miah is suffering from multiple health complications, including kidney failure, a blood infection and long-standing neurological problems.
The veteran politician was admitted to Evercare Hospital on 21 July and had been receiving treatment in a cabin with ICU facilities under the supervision of specialist physician Dr Farid Hossain.
His condition began to deteriorate on Thursday afternoon, Moksedur Rahman said.
Rafiqul Islam Miah served as minister for housing and public works in the BNP government led by Khaleda Zia after the party came to power in 1991.
He was elected to parliament as a BNP candidate in the 1991 and 1996 general elections and has long been a member of the party’s Standing Committee.
He also served as legal counsel for Khaleda Zia after her arrest during the military-backed caretaker government that took office following the 1/11 political changeover.
Moksedur Rahman said Rafiqul Islam Miah’s two sons, Dr Masrur Rafik Miah and Shahapur Rafik Miah, both reside abroad and travelled to Bangladesh after being informed of their father’s critical condition.
His wife, Prof Shahida Rafiq, a former Dhaka University teacher and a member of Khaleda Zia’s advisory council, died on 2 March last year.
The family has requested prayers for Rafiqul Islam Miah’s recovery, Abir said.
