Former secretary Mohiuddin Ahmed, the first Bangladeshi diplomat in Europe to defect from Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War, has died at the age of 80.
He breathed his last at his home in Dhaka's Uttara on Monday evening, his wife Bilkis Mohiuddin said. "He is no more. He has left us," she told bdnews24.com.
Mohiuddin returned home four days ago following his treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for three weeks.
He was suffering from liver cirrhosis, kidney complications and diabetes, his brother Ziauddin Ahmed said.
Then a second secretary at the Pakistan High Commission in London, Mohiuddin expressed his allegiance to Bangladesh by addressing a public gathering at Trafalgar Square on Aug 1, 1971.
It was a huge protest rally that was held under the banner, "Stop Genocide: Recognise Bangladesh".
The large gathering was addressed by Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury and demanded peace and justice in Bangladesh.
Mohiuddin had maintained close contact with Justice Chowdhury since April, and worked according to his advice even when he remained within the fold of the Pakistan government.
He played a crucial role in galvanising the expatriate Bengali community in England. Several other diplomats followed Mohiuddin quickly. All these had a ripple effect all over the world to gather support for Bangladesh.