Yasmeen Murshed passes away

Yasmeen Murshed, founder chairperson of Scholastica School and former adviser to the caretaker government led by then-president Iajuddin Ahmed, passed away yesterday at United Hospital in the capital.

She was 80.

According to a post on Scholastica's official Facebook page, she breathed her last at 8:31pm.

She is survived by her son Syed Maher Murshed and daughter Syeda Madiha Murshed.

Her first namaz-e-janaza will be held after Juma prayers today at Azad Masjid in Gulshan. Her body will then be taken to Scholastica's Senior Campus in Uttara Sector 1 at 2:30pm. A second janaza will be held on the campus at 4:00pm, after which she will be laid to rest at the Banani Graveyard.

Yasmeen Murshed was a pioneering figure in Bangladesh's education sector, having established Scholastica in 1977 as one of the country's leading English-medium institutions.

She served as the principal of the institution from 1977 to 2007.

She also served as an adviser to the caretaker government during a politically turbulent period, overseeing the ministries of Mass and Primary Education, Women and Children's Affairs, and Social Welfare.

She later served as Bangladesh's high commissioner to Pakistan from 2007 to 2009.

Born on May 19, 1945, Yasmeen completed her MA in Economics and BA in English from the University of Punjab. She began her professional career as a lecturer in English at the Government College for Women in Islamabad.

She was a founding trustee of the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and a member of its governing council. She also held the position of director at the United Insurance Company Ltd and Chittagong Stock Exchange Ltd.