Abul Kalam Faezul Huq (A. K. Faezul Huq) ( bn, এ. কে. ফায়জুল হক) (15 March 1945 – 19 July 2007) was a Bangladeshi
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
,
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
, and
columnist
A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...
. Huq served as a member of parliament on three occasions, and held various ministerial portfolios including
Public Works
Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, sc ...
,
Urban Development
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
,
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', which is in the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ''Corchorus olit ...
, and
Textiles
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
after Bangladesh gained independence. He was first elected as a member of the
Pakistan National Assembly
The National Assembly ( ur, , translit=Aiwān-e-Zairīñ, , or ur, قومی اسمبلی, romanized: ''Qaumi Assembly'') is the lower legislative house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, which also comprises the Senate of Pakistan (upp ...
from the
Banaripara Upazila
Banaripara ( bn, বানারীপাড়া) is an Upazila of Barishal District in the Division of Barishal in southern-central Bangladesh.
History
During the Liberation War in 1971, the Pakistani army killed many innocent people of villag ...
-
Swarupkathi-
Nazirpur Upazila
Nazirpur ( bn, নাজিরপুর ) is an upazila of Pirojpur District in the Division of Barisal, Bangladesh.
Geography
Nazirpur is located at . It has 31,862 households and a total area of 233.65 km2.
Demographics
According to the 19 ...
constituency as a
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
nomination in 1970.
Biography
Born in
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
, Faezul was the only son of
A. K. Fazlul Huq
Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq ( bn, আবুল কাশেম ফজলুল হক, ur, ; 26October 1873 — 27 April 1962), popularly known as Sher-e-Bangla (''Lion of Bengal''), was a British Indian and Pakistani lawyer and writer who present ...
, then
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
of undivided Bengal. He attended
St. Gregory's High School
St. Gregory's High School & College is a Catholic school in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was founded in 1882, when the city was part of British India, by Gregory De Groote, a Belgian Benedictine priest. The school, located on Municipal office street of L ...
,
Dhaka Notre Dame College and obtained degrees in political science and English from
Dhaka University
The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...
by 1967. Later Faezul completed his
Law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
degree at the Dhaka University and Central Law College.
In August 1969, Faezul Huq was invited to join the Department of
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
at the Notre Dame College, Dhaka as a lecturer. Huq later left the teaching profession and entered full-time politics in March 1970. He was elected as one of the youngest members of the then Pakistan National Assembly.
Faezul was kept in confinement, along with his wife Rukhsana Huq, in July 1971 during the
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...
, at
Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...
(in then
West Pakistan
West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...
), and at gunpoint forced to sign a blank piece of paper by the Pakistani forces which would be later used against him in allegations that he had made pro-West Pakistan statements during the War. Faezul, along with his wife, who was pregnant at the time, were released shortly afterwards.
In the later years, Faezul tried but ultimately failed to clear his name from the allegations against him: that he had purportedly made pro-West Pakistani statements during the ongoing Liberation War at the time. These allegations would be later repeatedly mentioned by his Bangladeshi political rivals and journalists, so much so, it went into print, which adversely affected Faezul's political career throughout the later years of his life.
After the Liberation War, he was accused of allegedly having close ties with the then West Pakistan because he had Pakistani relatives from his maternal side and because of his alleged pro-Pakistani written statement. As a result, he was arrested on 17 December 1971 and imprisoned until September 1972 under the
Collaborators Act, 1972.
Faezul was released after a formal appeal from his wife, Rukhsana Huq, with the assistance of Rafiqullah Chaudhury, Secretary to the then Prime Minister
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengalis, Beng ...
. The appeal was addressed to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his consent.
After his release, Faezul stayed away from politics until 1978, when he sought election to the Parliament. He was elected as a MP in 1979. He was made a member of the envoy's pool in 1980, and Director of
Bangladesh Krishi Bank in 1981. He was appointed a Minister of State in charge of
Public Works
Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, sc ...
in early 1982, and remained in office until
Martial Law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
was declared in March 1982.
From 1982 until 1994 he focussed his efforts on social work and sports. He was an active member of the
Lions Club
The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, ...
in Bangladesh for 30 years.
In 1994, he became involved in politics again, and was elected in the 1996 June election. He was appointed
Minister of State in charge of the Ministry of Jute and Textiles.
In his final years, Faezul Huq appeared on numerous current affairs television programs. Faezul also worked as a freelance journalist, writing for newspapers and periodicals including ''New Age'', ''Holiday'', ''Dhaka Courier'', ''Financial Express'', ''Prothom Alo''. He was associated with a number of social and sports organizations, including
Red Crescent Society
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, an ...
,
Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh is a non political and non profit research organisation registered under both Society Act of 1864 and NGO Bureau, Government of Bangladesh. The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was established as the Asiatic Society ...
, Cancer Society, Gregorian Association, Bangladesh - China Friendship Society,
Bangladesh Shooting Federation,
Lions Club of Bangladesh,
Dhaka Club
The Dhaka Club (formerly spelled as Dacca Club) is the oldest recreation organisation and the largest of elite clubs in Dhaka. Originally it was an all-white association in British India.
Description
Dhaka club has been described as "an oasis of ...
,
Anjuman Mufidul Islam
Anjuman Mufidul Islam ( bn, আঞ্জুমান মফিদুল ইসলাম ''Beneficial Assembly of Islam'') is a Bangladeshi welfare organisation specially designed to enrich the livelihood of orphans and the distressed.
History
Sh ...
and
Brothers Union Club
Brothers Union is a football club based in Gopibag, Dhaka. The club was founded in 1949 and the regal business tycoon Kazi Ghiyasuddin Ahmed, better known as K. G. Ahmed served as the founder chairman of the club. At the beginning it was a well ...
. Since 2007,
St. Gregory's High School
St. Gregory's High School & College is a Catholic school in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was founded in 1882, when the city was part of British India, by Gregory De Groote, a Belgian Benedictine priest. The school, located on Municipal office street of L ...
has awarded an ''A. K. Faezul Huq Scholarship''.
On 19 July 2007, Faezul Huq died of
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
at his residence in
Baridhara
Baridhara ( bn, বারিধারা) is an upscale residential area in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located on the east of and north east of Gulshan across Gulshan-Baridhara Lake. It has special zones designated for diplomats, and many of the ...
,
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
. His body was buried at
Banani graveyard,
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
on 20 July 2007.
Personal life
Faezul Huq married Marium Begum Mary in 1966, which was short-lived ultimately resulting in a divorce. Together they had two children: A. K. Faiyazul Huq (Raju) and Farahnaz Huq Chowdhury (Reepa).
After divorcing Marium Begum Mary, Faezul Huq married Rukhsana Huq in mid-1969 and together they had five children: A. K. Ferzul Huq (Faisal), Fersamin Huq Iqbal (Flora), Fahsina Huq (Lira), Fahmina Huq (Shyama), and
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
A. K. Fazlul Huq Jr. (Pikku).
His wife Rukhsana Huq passed away on 24 January 2020 in Dhaka, Bangladesh and was buried at
Banani graveyard sharing the same grave of her late husband, A. K. Faezul Huq.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huq, A. K. Faezul
1945 births
2007 deaths
Burials at Banani Graveyard
State Ministers of Housing and Public Works (Bangladesh)
State Ministers of Textiles and Jute (Bangladesh)
2nd Jatiya Sangsad members
7th Jatiya Sangsad members
Notre Dame College, Dhaka alumni
Notre Dame College, Dhaka faculty
University of Dhaka alumni
Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians
Awami League politicians
20th-century Bengalis
People from Bogra District
St. Gregory's High School and College alumni