Matia Chowdhury has passed away.

Matia Chowdhury, a presidium member of the Awami League and former minister, has passed away at the age of 82.

She died on Wednesday afternoon while receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. Hospital officials reported that Matia Chowdhury was admitted to the emergency department earlier that morning after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Chowdhury had previously been hospitalized at Evercare for health-related issues and had been experiencing various age-related ailments for an extended period.

Born on June 30, 1942, in Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur, she graduated from the University of Dhaka. Matia Chowdhury began her political career with the Bangladesh Students Union and later became an active member of the Awami League.

In 1965, she was elected president of the Bangladesh Students Union and was a prominent figure in the movement against Pakistan's ruler, Ayub Khan, during which she was imprisoned four times.

After Bangladesh gained independence in 1971, Matia joined the Awami League and played a crucial role in several movements, also facing imprisonment during military rule in the country.

Though originally from Pirojpur, she was elected multiple times as a member of parliament from Sherpur-2. Her most recent election to this seat was in the 12th general election, where she served as the deputy leader of parliament.

Throughout her political career, Matia Chowdhury also held the position of agriculture minister during the Awami League governments in 1996, 2009, and 2014.