AF Hassan Ariff, adviser to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the Ministry of Land, has passed away at a hospital in the capital. He was 85.

Mohammad Nasir Uddin, his personal secretary, told UNB that Ariff collapsed while having lunch at home today.

He was rushed to the hospital where doctors confirmed he had suffered a cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at 3:10 pm.

Ariff's first namaz-e-janaza was held at Baitul Aman Mosque on Dhanmondi Road 7 after the Isha prayers. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, including other dignitaries, attended it.

Ariff will be buried in the Mirpur Intellectuals' graveyard after another namaz-e-janaza on the High Court premises at 11:00am today, according to a statement from the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry's notification.

As the news of death spread, tributes poured in from across the political spectrum.

In his condolence message, President Mohammed Shahabuddin expressed his deep shock over his death and said that his death was an irreparable loss for Bangladesh.

The president prayed for the eternal peace of the deceased's soul and expressed his deepest condolences to his bereaved family.

Condoling his death, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus paid rich tribute to Hassan Ariff's decades-long public service.

"I am deeply shocked at his sudden demise. Adviser Hassan Ariff was a top lawyer who played a very significant role in the interim government," said Prof Yunus, who learnt the news of the adviser's demise as soon as he landed in Dhaka from Dubai after attending the D-8 summit in Egypt.

"He will be remembered as a brilliant lawyer and for his legal activism and defending human rights of dissidents, dissenting voices, and the marginalised people of our society," he added.

Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed also expressed deep shock at the demise of the adviser and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited Labaid Specialised Hospital to pay respects to the late adviser.

Describing Hassan Ariff as not only a renowned lawyer but also a man who deeply believed in democracy, Fakhrul said, "I believe he was very much needed during this period of democratic transition."

In separate messages, advisers to the interim government, including Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, also condoled the death of Hassan Ariff, reports BSS and UNB.

Ariff was appointed as an adviser to the interim government on August 8. The following day, he was entrusted with overseeing the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD).

On August 27, he took on additional responsibilities as the adviser to the Ministry of Land.

On November 10, he was released from the LGRD Ministry and tasked with managing the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism while continuing to oversee the Land Ministry.

AF Hassan Ariff had a distinguished legal career spanning over five decades. He began his practice at the Calcutta High Court in 1967.

In 1970, he relocated to Dhaka, enrolling in the High Court, and later founded AF Hassan Ariff & Associates, a leading law firm with offices in Dhaka and Chattogram.

He served as Bangladesh's Attorney General from October 2001 to April 2005 and as the Law Adviser (Cabinet Minister) of the Caretaker Government from January 2008 to January 2009.

An authority in constitutional law, commercial arbitration and public procurement, Ariff was a panellist at the Bangladesh International Arbitration Centre (BIAC), SAARC Arbitration Council and Shanghai Arbitration Commission. He also held the position of Court Member at the ICC International Court of Arbitration.

He advised numerous government and corporate entities, including the Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh Bank, and Chittagong Port Authority, along with telecom giants Robi Axiata and Grameenphone.

Beyond his legal practice, he was a resource person for the Bangladesh Bar Council's Continuing Legal Education and Human Rights Training Program and a prominent member of the International Business Forum of Bangladesh.

In 2010, he led the Election Observer Mission for the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) in Manila, Philippines.