Taufiq Nawaz, a Supreme Court lawyer, flautist and cricket enthusiast, has been laid to rest beside his father’s grave at Banani graveyard in Dhaka. Nawaz, the husband of former minister and Awami League leader Dipu Moni, died on Tuesday night at Continental Hospital, formerly known as United Hospital, at the age of 76.

His funeral prayer was held at Gulshan Azad Mosque after Zuhr prayers on Thursday. He was buried shortly before 3pm in the grave of his father, Aminur Rahman. His mother, Khairun Nessa, is also buried nearby.

Although Nawaz spent much of his professional life in the legal field, childhood friends remember him as a private and multi-talented person who preferred to remain away from the public spotlight. He regularly played the flute and was also fond of cricket.

His childhood friend, lawyer and politician Mohsin Rashid, recalled that music was closely connected with the Nawaz family. Aminur Rahman also played the flute, while Nawaz’s son Touqir Nawaz inherited the family’s musical interest. According to Rashid, Taufiq Nawaz himself performed solo flute programmes.

Nawaz studied at St Gregory’s School in Dhaka. Rashid, who studied alongside him from Class Three, said Nawaz completed his education in Dhaka before graduating from Oxford. It was during his time there that he became acquainted with Dr Kamal Hossain.

After completing his legal studies, Nawaz returned to Bangladesh and began his legal career at Kamal Hossain’s chamber, according to Rashid. He subsequently established himself as a lawyer of the Supreme Court.

Several of his school friends attended Thursday’s funeral, including Rashid, Syed Ashraful Haque and Monirul Alam. One former classmate, who declined to reveal his name, described Nawaz as a good and honest person.

Rashid said Nawaz had remained committed to his profession throughout his career and had a strong attachment to Bangladesh. He also credited his friend with an important role in the legal efforts concerning Bangladesh’s maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.

“He always fought for Bangladesh,” Rashid said, describing Nawaz’s involvement in matters concerning the country’s interests.

Nawaz’s final years were marked by serious health complications. He had been suffering from kidney and liver-related problems for a prolonged period and suffered a stroke in 2019. A close friend who attended his funeral said that after the stroke, Nawaz was largely able to communicate through eye movements, but remained mentally alert.

His last known visit to his wife took place on 27 May, when relatives took him to court in a wheelchair so that he could see Dipu Moni, who was then in custody.

Dipu Moni has been detained at Munshiganj jail after being arrested in several cases following the 2024 mass movement. She was granted parole for 12 hours to attend her husband’s funeral.

On Thursday, she was released from Munshiganj jail at 6:15am and taken to Dhaka in a prison van under tight security. She reached her Kalabagan residence shortly after 8am. Nawaz’s body was also taken to the residence that morning and kept in a freezer van in the garage.

A small group, including the muezzin of Bashir Uddin Road Mosque, recited the Quran beside the vehicle while the body remained at the house. Police maintained a security presence around the residence and questioned people entering the premises.

Relatives who visited Dipu Moni said she was deeply distressed by her husband’s death. Zakia Sultana Shefali of Chandpur Awami League was among those who went to see her and said she was not in a good state emotionally.

After noon, the freezer van carrying Nawaz’s body left the Kalabagan residence for Gulshan Azad Mosque. Dipu Moni was taken there shortly afterwards in a prison van.

While the funeral prayer was being held inside the mosque after Zuhr, she remained in the prison van outside. Following the prayer, she came out and saw her husband for the final time.

The funeral procession then moved to Banani graveyard. In the rain, Nawaz was buried beside his father’s grave shortly before 3pm. His daughter, Dipanbita Nawaz, placed soil on her father’s grave.

After the burial, Dipu Moni joined the prayers led by Banani graveyard mosque imam Maulana Omar Faruk, along with relatives, friends and Awami League activists present at the cemetery. She later spoke to the imam and requested prayers for her husband.

Dipu Moni also visited the grave of her own father, MA Wadud, at Banani cemetery. Wadud was one of the founding figures of the Awami League.

The burial and subsequent movements took place under heavy security involving Dhaka Metropolitan Police and prison personnel. After visiting her father’s grave, Dipu Moni was taken back to the prison van in the rain.

Munshiganj District Magistrate Syeda Nurmahal Ashrafi said Dipu Moni was returned to Munshiganj jail at 5:58pm on Thursday, within the period permitted under her parole.

For those who knew him beyond his legal career, Taufiq Nawaz leaves behind a more private legacy: that of a man who practised law with professional commitment while maintaining a lifelong connection with music, sport and matters he believed served Bangladesh’s interests.