Ghulam Arieff Tipoo ( bn, গোলাম আরিফ টিপু; 28 August 1931 – 15 March 2024) was a Bangladeshi jurist, independence activist, and language movement activist. He was the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh set up to investigate and prosecute suspects for the

genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...

committed 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 ...

. The 1952 Language Movement in the

Rajshahi Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous Rajshahi Division, division and Rajshahi District ...

area was organized mainly under his leadership. He was the joint convener of

Rastrabhasa Sangram Parishad The Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad (''National Language Action Committee'') was an organisation founded by Bengali politicians and intellectuals to agitate for the recognition of the Bengali language by the Government of Pakistan. It was established ...

in that area. In recognition of his contribution to the Bengali language movement, the

government of Bangladesh The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ সরকার — ) is the central executive government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Con ...

awarded him the country's second highest civilian award, the

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak ( bn, একুশে পদক; lit. "Twentyfirst Award") is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contribut ...

in 2019.

Early life

Tipoo was born on 28 August 1931 at Kamalakantapur village of Shibganj Upazila in

Chapainawabganj Chapainawabganj (Bengali language, Bengali: চাঁপাইনবাবগঞ্জ) is located in the north-western part of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rajshahi Division, and was formerly a sub-division of Malda district. The north and ...

of the then

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

(now

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

). He was the second son among the nine children of his parents. He completed his

Secondary School Certificate The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC), Matriculation examination, is a public examination in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan conducted by educational boards for the successful completion of the seco ...

from Kaliachar school in 1948 and

Higher Secondary School Certificate The Higher Secondary School Certificate is a secondary qualification in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Higher Secondary Education The Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education in Bangladesh recognises "Higher Secondary Education" und ...

from

Rajshahi College Rajshahi College ( bn, রাজশাহী কলেজ ''Rajshahi Kôlej'') is the third oldest institution of higher education in Bangladesh. Established in 1873 in Rajshahi city, it is the third oldest college in Bangladesh after Dhaka Col ...

in 1950. He graduated from the same college in 1952. He earned his post-graduate degree 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 ...

. He was the General Secretary of the

Bangladesh Students Union Bangladesh Students' Union (BSU) was instituted in 1952. This organization is one of the leading student organizations in Bangladesh. It claims to be working for students and youth right as a secular and progressive students' organization i ...

from 1954 to 1956.

Career

Tipoo started his career as 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 ...

in 1958. He served as the President of ''Rajshahi Advocate Bar Association''. He was one of the senate and syndicate members of

Rajshahi University The University of Rajshahi, also known as Rajshahi University or RU ( bn, রাজশাহী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়), is a public co-educational research university in Bangladesh situated near the northern Bangladeshi cit ...

. He was also on the committee of

Bangladesh Bar Council Bangladesh Bar Council is a statutory autonomous body in Bangladesh, established under the Legal Practitioners and the Bar Council Order. It is the licensing and regulatory body for lawyers in Bangladesh. The bar council can establish tribunals ...

Personal life and death

Tipoo was married to Jahan Ara Chowdhury Lui; the couple had three daughters and one son. Tipoo died on 15 March 2024, at the age of 92.ICT Chief Prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo passes away
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tipoo, Ghulam Arieff 1931 births 2024 deaths People from Chapai Nawabganj district University of Dhaka alumni Rajshahi College alumni Bengali language movement activists Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Bangladeshi jurists