A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman
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Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman (1926 - November 3, 1975) was a Bangladeshi politician, senior government minister and a leading member of the Awami League. A loyalist of Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Qamaruzzaman was murdered along with Syed Nazrul Islam, Muhammad Mansur Ali and Tajuddin Ahmed in the infamous "jail killings" in Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975.
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[edit] Early life
Qamaruzzaman was born in 1926 in the city of Rajshahi in the province of Bengal (now in Bangladesh). He obtained degrees in economics from the University of Calcutta in 1946, and a law degree from the Rajshahi University in 1956. He began practising law after his induction in the Rajshahi District bar association. As a student, Qamaruzzaman became active in the Muslim League and worked for the Pakistan movement.
[edit] Political career
Qamaruzzaman joined the Awami League of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1956. He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1962, 1965 and again in 1970. He rose to national party leadership posts in the late 1960s, becoming a close ally of Mujib. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Qamaruzzaman served as the minister of relief and rehabilitation in the provisional government of Bangaldesh formed at Mujibnagar. After the creation of Bangladesh, he won election to the national parliament from Rajshahi in 1973. A minister in Mujib's cabinet, he resigned on January 18, 1974 to serve as president of the Awami League. In 1975, Qamaruzzaman was appointed minister of industries and a member of the executive committee of BAKSAL. He continued to support Mujib despite his assumption of dictatorial powers and a ban on all political parties except BAKSAL.
[edit] Death
After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975 Qamaruzzaman went underground with other Mujib loyalists. He was arrested by the regime of the new president Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad and imprisoned in the Dhaka Central Jail with Tajuddin Ahmed, Syed Nazrul Islam and Mansur Ali. These four senior Awami League politicians were killed under mysterious and controversial circumstances on November 3, even as a military coup led by Mujib loyalist general Khaled Mosharraf overthrew Khondaker Mostaq's regime.
