AL lawmaker Samad Chy dies from Covid-19

Sylhet-3 lawmaker Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury died of coronavirus yesterday.

He was 66.

The parliamentarian breathed his last around 2:00pm while undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU) of United Hospital in Dhaka, said Julhas Ahmed, personal secretary to the MP.

He left behind his wife, son and a host of relatives and well-wishers.

The MP received his first dose of coronavirus vaccine on February 10 at the Parliament Complex and no adverse effect was reported that time.

Julhas earlier told The Daily Star that the lawmaker recently went to his constituency on a regular visit and was feeling unwell for a few days.

"His condition suddenly deteriorated while returning to Dhaka from Sylhet on Sunday. Upon reaching the capital, he was rushed to the hospital. On Monday, he was tested for Covid-19 and the report came positive," said Julhas.

He was praised for helping his constituents during the early days of the pandemic. The online version of this newspaper ran a report about him titled "The people's lawmaker" on April 16 last year.

Mahmud Us Samad, hailing from Nurpur village of Sylhet's Fenchuganj upazila, was born on January 3, 1955 in Sylhet.

He was first elected a parliamentarian in the 2008 general election and then again in the 2014 and 2019 polls from the Awami League.

The lawmaker was also a successful industrialist. He was acting as the chairman and managing director of Kushiara Composite Knit Industries Limited, MSC Real Estate Limited and MSC Garments Limited.