Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton, a former general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League, has died at a hospital in Kolkata, India, after battling lung cancer for more than two years. He passed away at around 7am on Saturday, 10 October, while receiving treatment.
Roton’s death was announced by Mohammad Aminul Islam, the Awami League’s secretary for relief and social welfare, in a post on Facebook on Saturday morning. Islam also expressed deep sorrow over the death of his longtime political associate.
In his condolence message, Islam recalled meeting Roton through their involvement in Chhatra League and working together during various political movements in Dhaka in 1996. He remembered Roton as someone whose political career began as a supporter of the ideology of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before he rose through the ranks of the student organisation to become its central general secretary.
Islam paid tribute to Roton’s involvement in political movements and struggles over the years, prayed for the forgiveness of his soul and extended his condolences to the bereaved family.
Health deteriorated before death
Roton had been receiving treatment in Kolkata for more than two years after being diagnosed with lung cancer. His condition deteriorated, and he was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Apollo Hospital in Kolkata on the night of 4 October.
He remained under medical care until his death on Saturday morning. Further details about his final days and the specific circumstances surrounding his death were not immediately available.
Served as Chhatra League general secretary for five years
Roton served as the central general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League from 2006 to 2011. Mahmud Hasan Ripon was president of the organisation’s central committee during that period.
Chhatra League, the student wing associated with the Awami League, has long played a prominent role in Bangladesh’s student politics. Roton rose to political prominence through the organisation before becoming involved in the Awami League’s wider political activities.
His political ambitions extended beyond student politics. In the 2018 national parliamentary election, he collected nomination papers from the Awami League to contest the Chattogram-6 constituency, which covers Raozan, his home area in Chattogram district.
In 2021, he was also appointed a member of the Awami League’s sub-committee on labour and manpower affairs, reflecting his continued involvement in the party’s organisational activities.
Roton’s career spanned student leadership and party politics, with his years at the helm of Chhatra League marking a significant phase of his public life. His death brings an end to a political journey that began in student activism and later extended into the broader activities of the Awami League.
His passing is expected to be mourned by members of his family, former colleagues and political associates who worked alongside him during his years in student and party politics.
