Former prime minister and chief of a faction of Jatiya Party, Kazi Zafar Ahmed died at a Dhaka hospital this morning.

President Abdul Hamid expressed deep condolence at the death of Kazi Zafar Ahmed in a statement.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, chief of the now 22-party alliance that includes Kazi Zafar’s faction, also expressed shock at his death.

Syrul Kabir Khan, a staff of the BNP chief’s media wing, conveyed The Daily Star of Khaleda Zia’s shock and mourning at the death of the “seasoned politician”.

Zafar, 76, who has been suffering from different ailments, fell sick at his Gulshan residence while taking preparations to go to Chauddagram upazila in Comilla district around 7:00am. He was rushed to United Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead around 7:30am, family sources said.

He left behind a wife and three daughters who are living abroad. Zafar’s body will be kept at the hospital morgue. His family will decide about burial after they arrive in Dhaka.

The first namaj-e-janaza of Zafar, who was a former presidium member of the Ershad-led Jatiya Party, will be held at Tongi Railgate at 8:00am tomorrow. His second namaj-e-janaza will be held at the Dakkhin Plaza at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban around 11-11:30am, followed by another namaj-e-janaza at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital after Juma prayers.

He formally joined BNP-led 20-party alliance on January last year.