Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem

Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem
আবু সাদাত মোহাম্মদ সায়েম
6th President of Bangladesh
In office
6 November 1975  21 April 1977
Preceded by Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad
Succeeded by Ziaur Rahman
Chief Justice of Bangladesh
In office
12 January 1972  6 November 1975
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by Mahmud Husain
Personal details
Born 29 March 1916[1]
Rangpur, British Raj (now Bangladesh)
Died 8 July 1997 (aged 81)[1]
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Political party Awami League
Alma mater Presidency College, Calcutta
University of Calcutta
Religion Islam

Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (March 29, 1916 – July 8, 1997) was the sixth president of Bangladesh between 6 November 1975 and 21 April 1977. He was also the first chief justice of Bangladesh.

Early life

Abusadat Mohammad Sayem was born on 29 March 1916 in Rangpur a reputed Muslim family.

Education

He had his school education at Rangpur Zila School, College education at Carmichael College, Rangpur, and Presidency College, Kolkata. He became a law graduate from the University Law College, Kolkata.

Early career

He became a law graduate from the University Law College, Kolkata. He was enrolled as an advocate of the Calcutta High Court in 1944. After partition of India in 1947 and setting up of a High Court in Dhaka he shifted his practice to the Dhaka High Court and worked as a junior of veteran advocate Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq.

Political career

Sayem was elected secretary and subsequently vice president of the Dhaka High Court Bar Association. He was a sponsor member of the East Pakistan Lawyers’ Association and was elected secretary, general secretary and vice president of the said organisation for different terms. He was also elected a member of the Local Board of the State Bank of Pakistan, Dhaka. He was a member of the East Pakistan Bar Council till his elevation to the Bench.

Before liberation

On 3 July 1962, Sayem was appointed a judge of the High Court of judicature in East Pakistan. In 1967, he was appointed a member of the Commission of Enquiry for finding out the causes of exodus and eviction of the members of the minority community. He was again appointed a member of the new Enquiry Commission formed for the same purpose. He was a member of the Delimitation Commission (1970) for delimitation of the constituencies, and had subsequently been a member of the Election Commission.

After liberation

After liberation of the country Justice AM Sayem was appointed the Chief Justice of the High Court of Bangladesh on 12 January 1972, and after the formation of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on 17 December 1972 he was appointed the Chief Justice of Bangladesh.

Presidency

Justice Sayem assumed the office of President and Chief Martial Law Administrator on 6 November 1975. He relinquished the office of the Chief Martial Law Administrator on 29 November 1976 and office of the President on 21 April 1977.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Banglapedia biography. Retrieved November 2nd, 2011
Legal offices
New office Chief Justice of Bangladesh
1972–1975
Succeeded by
Mahmud Husain
Political offices
Preceded by
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad
President of Bangladesh
1975–1977
Succeeded by
Ziaur Rahman