No visitors were allowed since last night to go near him and only members of his family were present with him till he breathed his last. He was 54.

Mr Mohammed Ali’s two wives, two sons, daughter and other close relations were at his bedside at the time of his death.

Among others, the East Pakistan Governor, Mr Monem Khan, Provincial Ministers, Syed Hasan Ali Chaudhry and Nawab Hasan Askari, and the Chief Whip, National Assembly, Mr Lal Mia, besides the attending physicians were also present.

Mr Mohammad Ali is reported to have “completely exhausted” himself by keeping himself busy up to 1 p.m. yesterday, after arriving in Dacca at 2 a.m. from Karachi.

This morning, he recovered sufficiently from exhaustion which had pulled him down last night, to enable him to talk to his near and dear ones. The previous night, he had remained awake till about 3 a.m., talking and discussing various matters, including those of international importance.

This proved evidently much too severe a strain on his present state of health which had almost been shattered by a recent heart attack that he had in Rawalpindi.

The body of the Minister will be laid to rest at Bogra, beside his father, as was desired by him. He will be given a state funeral. —Agencies