Sheikh Abu Naser (1928–1975) was a Bangladeshi politician and the only brother of the first

President of Bangladesh The president of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রপতি — ) officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশে ...

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 ...

. He was the uncle of the present

Prime Minister of Bangladesh The Prime Minister of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের প্রধানমন্ত্রী, translit=Bangladesher Prodhanmontri), officially Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজা� ...

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...

Early life

His elder brother was

and he had 4 sisters.

Career

Naser had a prosperous clearing and forwarding agency in the erstwhile

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

. He earned almost Rs. 40,000 per month and employed mostly Hindus. His business was destroyed by the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

, rendering him penniless, and Naser fled to neighboring

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

with nothing except a

lungi The lungi is a type of sarong that originated in the Indian Subcontinent. The Lungi, which usually multicoloured, is a men's skirt usually tied around the lower waist below the navel. it can be worn as casual wear and night wear, in places an ...

and a shirt. He left his wife and children back in

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 ...

, whose whereabouts he was unaware of. The former communications minister and Muslim League leader

Abdus Sabur Khan Khan A Sabur or Abdus Sabur Khan (10 October 190825 January 1982) was a Bangladeshi politician and lawyer from Khulna. He served as a minister in the government of Ayub Khan. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Khan stood in favor of Pakistan ...

attempted to bribe Naser in order to persuade him to convince his brother Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to accept the 4-point program of General Yahya Khan. Abdus Sabur Khan promised Naser that if he could convince his brother, then Naser would get many lucrative contracts in

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 ...

. Naser refused to accept the bribe and exclaimed that Mujib would rather die than sacrifice his principles. Naser was a member of

Mukti Bahini The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

during

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 ...

and was formally recognized by the government of Bangladesh as a freedom fighter after the

Independence of Bangladesh Independence of Bangladesh was declared on 26 March 1971, celebrated as Independence Day, from Pakistan. The Independence Day of Bangladesh is celebrated on 26 March when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the Independence of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh ...

. In 1975, he was the largest contractor in Khulna.

Personal life

Naser was married to Sheikh Razia Dolly. He had five sons and two daughters named Sheikh Jalaluddin Rubel,

Sheikh Helal Uddin Sheikh Helal Uddin is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and member of parliament from Bagerhat-1. Early life Sheikh Helal was born on 1 January 1961. He studied up to H.S.C. or grade 12. His father Sheikh Naser was the younger brother of S ...

, Sheikh Jewel, and Sheikh Sohel, Sheikh Belal, Sheikh Tahmina and Sheikh Farhana Sheikh Sohel is a director of

Bangladesh Cricket Board The Bangladesh Cricket board ( bn, বাংলাদেশ ক্রিকেট বোর্ড; abbreviated as BCB) is the governing body of cricket in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Cricket Board first became an associate member of the Inter ...

while Sheikh Helal and Sheikh Jewel are members of parliament. His grandson Sheikh Tonmoy (son of Sheikh Helal) is also a member of parliament. Naser's granddaughter Sheikh Shaira Rahman (daughter of Sheikh Helal) is married to his grand-nephew

Andaleeve Rahman Andaleeve Rahman Partho (born 20 April 1974) is the president of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party, a Member of Parliament and the principal of British School of Law in Dhaka. Early life Andaleeve Rahman was born on 20 April 1974 in Dhaka, Banglad ...

(grandson of his sister Sheikh Asia Begum). Naser was said to have closely resembled his brother Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Death and legacy

Naser was killed on 15 August 1975 by mutinous

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and def ...

officers at the residence Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in

Dhanmondi Dhanmondi ( bn, ধানমন্ডি) is a residential area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, known for its central location, cultural vibrancy and being home to the country's founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The origins of Dhanmondi can be traced back to t ...

, during the course of the

assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman The first president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and most of his family were killed during the early hours of 15 August 1975 by a group of young Bangladesh Army personnel who invaded his Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, Dhanmondi 32 resi ...

. He pleaded the assassins not to kill him as he was just a businessman and said to them, "I am not into politics, I do business for a living." Nevertheless, he was taken to a bathroom of the house where a soldier shot him. He was bleeding and begged for water when another soldier came in and shot him again, killing him. A number of Mujib's

family members Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

were killed by the assassins.

Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, ( bn, শেখ আবু নাসের স্টেডিয়াম) previously known as Bir Shrestha Shahid Flight Lieutenant Motiur Rahman Stadium is a Test cricket venue in Khulna, Bangladesh. History Khulna, ...

Khulna Khulna ( bn, খুলনা, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of Khulna District and Khulna Division. Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 b ...

was named after him in 1996 by the

Bangladesh Awami League 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 ...

government. In 2003 the

Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল, Bangladesh Jātīyotābādī Dol; BNP) is a centre-right to right-wing nationalist, political party in Bangladesh and one of the major ...

renamed the stadium Birshreshtha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman stadium. The stadium was renamed to Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in 2009 after Bangladesh Awami League returned to power. Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised Hospital in Khulna is also named after him and was opened in 2010.

Criticism

Naser was accused of being a ringleader of syndicates smuggling jute to India during the Presidency of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is said that his rise from near poverty in 1971 to being the largest contractor in Khulna was through favoritism and illegal means.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abu Naser, Sheikh 1st Jatiya Sangsad members Awami League politicians Bangladeshi people of Arab descent Mukti Bahini personnel Sheikh Mujibur Rahman family 1928 births 1975 deaths