The national parliament completed its glorious 50 years on Friday. To mark the day, a special session was opened on Thursday. This is the 22nd session of the 11th Parliament.
President M Abdul Hamid, who was elected as the youngest member of parliament in 1973 at the age of 25, gave a memorial speech yesterday. At that time, five other ruling Awami League MPs, who are also the senior-most lawmakers, were present in the front row.
They are Muhammad Imaz Uddin Pramanik of Naogaon (then Rajshahi), Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju of Narsingdi (Dhaka), engineer Mosharraf Hossain of Chittagong, Amir Hossain Amu of Jhalkathi (then Barisal) and Tofail. Ahmed of Bhola (then Barisal).
Muhammad Imaj Uddin Pramanik
Born at Kalikapur village of Manda Upazila of Naogaon on February 16, 1941, Muhammad Imaj Uddin joined the Language Movement while studying in class five at Chak Kalikapur Government Primary School in Manda. While studying at Naogaon Degree College, he actively participated in the Chhatra League and was elected the VP of the College Students' Council in 1963-64.
He was the founding president of Naogaon Mahukuma Chhatra League and one of the organizers of various movements including the freedom movement of this country. When Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ordered the formation of Muktijudda Sangram Parishad in every village and mahalla of the country on March 7, 1971, Imaz Uddin formed a unit in his constituency. In 1970, he participated in the provincial assembly elections and won by a huge margin.
Later, he was elected as a member of the First Parliament in 1973, and later in 1979, 1986, 2008, 2014 and 2018.
Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju
A veteran student leader of the ‘70s, Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju was born in Adiabad Dakshinpara area of Raipura Upazila in Narsingdi. He was the former elected VP of Jagannath College (now university) and played a leading role in the Six-Point Movement. Rajiuddin Ahmed was first elected to parliament in 1970 as the youngest MP. That parliament was suspended and later the MPs from East Pakistan, including him, formed the constituent assembly that drafted Bangladesh's new constitution after the war. So, he is a signatory to the first constitution. He is the only surviving member of that constituent assembly. He was also elected as an MP in 1996, 2001, 2008, 2014 and 2018. He served as minister of posts and telecommunications, and also labour and employment.
Engineer Mosharraf Hossain
Engineer Mosharraf Hossain was born in Dhoom Union of Mirsarai Upazila in Chittagong on January 12, 1943. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Minerals from Lahore in 1966. Popular among the Bengali students for his bravery, he was elected president of the East Pakistan Students' Union in 1964. He joined the Six-Point Movement with the students of East Pakistan in Lahore. After that, he joined politics on the advice of MA Aziz, a senior Awami League leader. In the 1970 election, he was elected as a member of the East Pakistan Provincial Council with the boat symbol. Responding to the call of Bangabandhu, he joined the struggle for liberation and led the guerrilla war as the sub-sector commander of Chittagong. He was awarded the Independence Award in 2019 in recognition of his outstanding contribution. He was elected an MP in 1973, 1986, 1996, 2008, 2014 and 2018, and served the country as minister of two portfolios.
Amir Hossain Amu
Former minister Amir Hossain Amu was born in Jhalakathi subdivision of Barisal on January 1, 1940. He got involved in politics as a student. In 1954, he actively participated in the election campaign of the United Front and was imprisoned. In 1959, he was nominated as the convener of the All-Party Chhatra Sangam Parishad's Language Day Celebration Committee. From 1959 to 1964, he served as the general secretary and president of the Barisal District Chhatra League. He became the convener of the All Party Student Struggle Committee in 1962. He actively participated in the movement against the Hamudur Rahman Education Commission Report in 1963 and was the convener of the convention movement in 1964. He played an important role in the Six-Point Movement and carried out the campaign as one of the shapers of the mass movement of 1969. He won the 1970 Provincial Assembly elections from the Barisal Sadar seat. During the Liberation War, he served as the head of Mujib Bahini in five districts -- Barisal, Khulna, Patuakhali, Jessore and Faridpur. Currently, lawmaker Amu is the coordinator of the 14-party alliance.
Tofail Ahmed
One of the top leaders of the Awami League, Tofail Ahmed was born in Kodalia village of Bhola in 1943. He passed matriculation from Bhola Government High School in 1960 and HSC from Brajmohan College in 1962. Later, he was admitted to the Soil Science Department at Dhaka University and elected VP of Iqbal Hall (now Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall) during 1966-67. He later served as the VP of Ducsu as the convener of the All Party Student Struggle Parishad. In 1970, he won the election from the Awami League. In 1971, he was one of the regional commanders of Mujib Bahini. On January 14, 1972, he became the political secretary of the first prime minister of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He won the parliamentary elections of 1973, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2008, 2014, and 2018. He also held the post of minister twice.