Dhaka: Latifur Rahman, former Chief Justice and former Chief Adviser to the 2001 caretaker government, died at a city hospital on Tuesday morning. He was 81.

Latifur Rahman who had been suffering from pneumonia and old-age complications breathed his last at Samorita Hospital around 6:30pam, said Supreme Court registrar Syed Aminul Islam.

He left behind his wife and three daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.

His namaz-e-janaza was held on the Supreme Court premises after Zohr prayers. His former colleagues and lawyers, noted citizens and politicians attended the janaza.

Talking to reporters after the janaza, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha said Latifur Rahman was a good person. "He was our guardian ...we're shocked at his death. We still follow many verdicts pronounced by him."

Family sources said he was buried at Banani Graveyard.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed deep shock at his death.

Born in Jessore on March 1, 1936, Latifur Rahman became Justice on temporary basis in the High Court Division in 1979. He became permanent Justice in 1981.

On January 15, 1991, he became the Justice of Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Later, he became the Chief Justice on January 1, 2000. He retired on February 28, 2001.

He was the chief adviser to the 2001 (15 July 2001 to 10 October 2001) caretaker government that oversaw the eighth parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. BNP got a landside victory in the polls.