A. F. Hassan Ariff

A. F. Hassan Ariff (10 July 1941 – 20 December 2024) was a Bangladeshi lawyer who served as the attorney general of Bangladesh and an adviser in the caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed. He also served until his death as an adviser to the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

Early life Ariff was born in Calcutta, British India on 10 July 1941. He studied at St. Xavier's College, Calcutta, and later earned a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Calcutta.

Career In 1967, Ariff started his legal practice at the Calcutta High Court.

In 1970, Ariff began practising law in Dhaka after moving to East Pakistan.

Ariff represented the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government in a case to close down Ekushey Television on 29 August 2002.

From January 2008 to January 2009, Ariff served as the legal adviser to the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government. Under him, the attorney general's office prosecuted high-profile corruption cases against former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. He negotiated with Khaleda Zia in November 2008 on behalf of the caretaker government to ensure her party's participation in the next parliamentary elections.

In January 2018, the Bangladesh Judicial Service Association criticized Ariff for signing a statement critical of the lower court judges disciplinary rules in relation to the Secretary, Ministry of Finance v. Masdar Hossain case.

Ariff was an adviser to the Dhakeshwari National Temple Complex.

Personal life and death Ariff's son is Muaaz Ariff. Muaaz was sued for domestic violence by his wife, Madhuri Akter Neela in June 2021. Following his death, the government of Bangladesh announced a day of mourning.

His Islamic funeral was held at the Dhanmondi 7 mosque on 20 December 2024. A second Islamic funeral was held the next day.