Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has suspended judicial functions of both the Appellate and High Court Divisions of the Supreme Court for tomorrow in honour of former chief justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim, who passed away early today at the age of 81.

The cases enlisted in today's cause list of the Appellate Division will be heard on November 24, while cases listed for the High Court Division will be heard on Monday, according to a notification issued by the Supreme Court administration.

However, the administrative and other activities of the Supreme Court will continue as usual today.

Justice Fazlul Karim passed away at 4:43am while undergoing treatment at the Bangladesh Specialized Hospital in Dhaka.

He is survived by his wife, three daughters, two sons, and numerous admirers.

His namaz-e-janaza was held this afternoon at the Supreme Court's Inner Garden, attended by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, judges of the Appellate and High Court Divisions, former chief justices, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, and members of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Chief Justice Refaat Ahmed and Law Adviser Asif Nazrul expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Justice Fazlul Karim. They extended their condolences to his bereaved family and prayed for the eternal peace of his soul.

Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim had a distinguished legal career. After earning an LLB from the University of Dhaka in 1964 and completing his Bar-at-Law in 1969, he began practising as an advocate in the Chattogram District Court in 1965.

He was later enrolled at the High Court in Dhaka in 1970 and the Appellate Division in 1979.

He was elevated to the High Court Division as a judge on November 1, 1992, and to the Appellate Division on May 15, 2001.

Throughout his career, he held prominent roles in the legal fraternity, including serving as secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association in 1982 and as a member of the Bangladesh Bar Council in 1992.