Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the death of Awami League lawmaker Moslem Uddin Ahmed is a great loss for the party.

"It is a big loss for the Awami League," she said while taking part in a condolence motion in the parliament.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the motion in the House at the beginning of the session.

Recalling his sincerity and dutifulness, she said the nation will remember him forever as he was a dedicated person for the party as well as for the nation.

"Despite his illness I made Moslem Uddin the president of Chittagong South Awami League, considering his contribution to the party," said Sheikh Hasina, also President of the AL.

The Premier said that he joined politics during his student life and he was involved in the politics of the Chhatra League, Jubo League and Awami League.

"He was always active during the Liberation War in 1971 or the movements before it. He also participated in the Liberation War," she said.

She recalled that Moslem Uddin Ahmed and Mohiuddin Chowdhury were arrested during an operation in the Liberation War.

Sheikh Hasina said that Moslem Uddin was with the people of Chittagong, who raised their voices against the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

"He was active in all movements," she said.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Whip Samshul Haque Chowdhury, Whip Abu Saeed Al Mahmud Swapan and Jatiya Party lawmakers Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Kazi Firoz Rashid and Mosiur Rahman Rangan also spoke.

A one-minute silence was observed and a munajat was offered seeking the eternal peace of the departed soul. Tarikat Federation MP Najibul Bashar Maijbhandari conducted the munajat.

Later, due to the death of Moslem Uddin, the running lawmaker from the Chattogram-8 constituency, the meeting of the parliament was adjourned as per custom.

BSS/