Environment adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has stated that the late AF Hassan Ariff was an exemplary lawyer whose contributions to establishing environmental justice, in addition to his professional responsibilities, remain unparalleled.

His professional integrity, compassionate outlook, and application of law for environmental conservation stand as an inspiring model for all.

She made these remarks while delivering a memorial speech Saturday after paying tribute to the AF Hassan Ariff, the erstwhile tourism and land adviser, at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Saturday.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan said, as an environmental lawyer, whenever I sought his guidance, Hassan Ariff, also a former attorney general, prioritised advising on cases involving encroachments of sand-filled areas, hills, and rivers, setting aside personal legal matters.

Beyond his role as a lawyer, he extended his proactive support to the ministry of environment’s initiatives while serving as an adviser to the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Land.

Hassan Ariff was also a law adviser of the 2007-08 caretaker government.

She further noted that every phase of Hassan Ariff’s life reflected a deep sense of humanitarian and social responsibility. “His contributions to protecting the environment will continue to inspire us. His passing is an irreparable loss for the country.”

Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Dr Md Mokhlesur Rahman, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Land ASM Saleh Ahmed, Secretary of the Local Government Division Md Nazrul Islam, and Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Nasreen Jahan, among others, were present during the tribute at the Secretariat.