Dhaka: Veteran politician, Awami League presidium member and former agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury has passed away (innalillahi wa inna ilahi raji'un).

She died on Wednesday (October 16) afternoon while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital. She was 82 years old.

Matia Chowdhury's maternal uncle former minister Mustafa Jamal Haider confirmed the news.

Matia Chowdhury was born on June 30, 1942 in Pirojpur district. Her father Mohiuddin Ahmed Chowdhury was a police officer and mother Nurjahan Begum was a housewife. On June 18, 1964, Matia Chowdhury got married to the famous journalist Bazlur Rahman.

While a student at Eden College, she became involved with Chhatra Union, a progressive student body. Matia Chowdhury was the organizer of the strong student movement against the Hamdur Rahman Education Commission in 1962.

After being admitted to Dhaka University in 1963, she was elected as the Vice-President of Rokeya Hall Student Council. In the following year, she was elected as the general secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union or DACSU. In 1965, when the student union split due to ideological reasons, Matia Chowdhury was elected as the president of one section. Rashed Khan Menon became the president of the other part. As such the student union came to be known as Matia Group and student union Menon Group.

Matia Chowdhury was known as 'Agnikanya' among the students because of her fiery speeches. Matia Chowdhury joined the National Awami Party under the leadership of Prof. Mozaffar Ahmad in 1967 after completing her student life. She quickly gained wide fame in political circles due to her speeches.

In 1969, when Ayub Khan was overthrown by popular uprising, many political prisoners including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were released from prison. Matia Chowdhury also got out of jail and became active in field of politics again.

Liberation War of Bangladesh is a significant event in the life of Bengalis. Matia Chowdhury actively participated in the liberation war. She played the role of an organizer in forming a joint guerrilla force of the NAP-Communist Party-Student Union. After the liberation war, she did the politics of reconstruction of the war-torn country through NAP.

Matia Chowdhury has never deviated from the politics of Bangladesh's four state principles-democracy, socialism, secularism and nationalism. Leftist politicians had good relations with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In that sequence, Matia Chowdhury was also in his favorite list. In 1975, when Bangabandhu formed Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League or Baksal, Matia Chowdhury was placed in its 115-member central committee.

She joined Awami League in 1979. She became the agriculture secretary of the party. Matia Chowdhury served as the Agriculture Minister during the Awami League regime in 1996, 2009 and 2013. She is currently a member of the presidium of Awami League. When Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury died in the 11th Jatiya Sangsad, Matia Chowdhury was elected as the deputy leader of the Jatiya Sangsad. She performed the same duty in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad. 

Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed has decided to send 12 judges of the High Court division on leave who were accused of corruption and working as accomplices of the fascist Sheikh Hasina government.

The Chief Justice informed them of this decision on Wednesday (October 16) afternoon.

The accused High Court judges are entering the office of Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed one by one to attend tea refreshment. Till writing this report, four judges have come to the invitation of the Chief Justice for tea. They are - Justice SM Moniruzzaman, Justice Khondkar Diliruzzaman, Justice Md. Aktaruzzaman and Justice Shahed Nuruddin. The Chief Justice informed about the decision to send them on leave.

Meanwhile, students of anti-discrimination student movement are protesting in the High Court premises to demand the removal of controversial and pro-Awami judges. Around 12:30 noon, thousands of students took a stand in the High Court premises. The entire High Court premises were abuzz with their slogans, sit-ins.

A protest procession under the banner of anti-discrimination student movement came out from the foot of Dhaka University's anti-terrorism Raju sculpture and reached the High Court premises.

At that time, the students shouted slogans demanding hanging of fascist, murderer Hasina, "Abu Sayeed, Mugdha- the war is not over," "Despotic brokers, beware of the warning," "Besieged, besieged, besieged, the High Court will be surrounded," "Broker, highway, highway." Rajpath,'' 'Delhi na Dhaka, Dhaka Dhaka,'' 'Apash na Sangram, Sangram Sangram,'' 'Wake up, wake up, student society has woken up' etc.

The students said the judges who had ruled against the quota are still in the High Court. If they are not removed, the blood of all the martyrs, including Abu Sayeed, Mugdha, will be dishonored. Those who had ruled against the caretaker government to conduct unilateral elections also remained in the High Court.

They also said that the students will remain in the High Court until the removal of these corrupt and partisan judges. 

Students who are not satisfied with the results of HSC and equivalent examinations will get the opportunity to apply for re-examination like every time. This application will start from today Wednesday (October 16) and will continue till October 22.

Earlier on Tuesday (October 16) this information was informed by the Inter-Education Board.

It is said that the result of HSC and equivalent examination of 2024 has been published. Students who are not satisfied with the result will get the opportunity to apply for board challenge or result re-checks like every time. Application for re-verification of result can be made through SMS on mobile phone using Teletalk SIM only.

Result Challenge application fee is fixed at Tk. 150.

Dhaka Secondary and Higher Education Board notification said, this application will start from Wednesday till October 22.

How to apply:

First go to the message option of the mobile and type RSC and enter the first three letters of the board name with a space. After that write the roll number with a space and again write the subject code with a space and send an SMS to 16222.

Example: RSC DHA 123456 174 to 16222. In case of rechecking answer sheet of multiple subjects, subject code should be SMS with comma. Eg- 174, 175, 176.

If the SMS is sent, a return SMS will be received from Teletalk with the amount of money to be deducted along with the PIN number. PIN number must be collected. After that, if you agree, write RSC in the message option, write YES with a space, write 'PIN number' with a space, write your own mobile number (any operator) and send it to 16222.

Example: Send RSC<>YES<>PIN-NUMBER<>MobileNumber to 16222.

Sarjis Alam, one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, has called for a siege program at the High Court today (Wednesday) at 11 am to demand the resignation of Awami League's fascist judges.

He gave this ultimatum in a post on his Facebook account on Tuesday (October 15) around 9:30 pm.

He wrote in his Facebook post, "High court siege program tomorrow at 11 am to demand resignation of fascist judges of Awami League."

He wrote in the comments section, "The state is not able to function properly because of the agents of this murderous Hasina." The country cannot move forward until they are overthrown.