Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar

Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar (Bengali: মোহাম্মদ জমীরুদ্দিন সরকার; born December 1, 1931) was the acting president of Bangladesh. He is a Barrister and a renowned politician. He was the speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh.^[2] He is one of the founding members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and was a member of the Standing Committee, which was the policy making body of the party, from its inception.

Early life

His father's name is Moulvi Ali Baksh and mother's name is Begum Fakhrunnessa. His father was a jotdar (land owner).

Education

Sircar obtained his M.A and LL.B degree from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and joined the Bar to practice Law in 1960. He left for London in 1961 for the degree of Barrister-at-Law and was admitted and called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, to practice Law as a member of the English Bar as well as Commonwealth Countries Bar. He emerged as an eminent Barrister of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in constitutional, civil and criminal laws.

Political career

In 1977, Sircar was selected by President Ziaur Rahman as a member of the Bangladesh Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly. As a delegate he looked after the Legal Committee and continued in this role for the next four years between 1977-1980. In 1981, as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs he traveled to the U.N. to make deliberation on Middle East peace process and disarmament. He later attended the Non-aligned Labor Minister's Conference in Baghdad. Here he made valuable contributions in various areas of the law including, International, Industrial, Commercial, Hijacking, Law of the Sea, International Rivers,Environmental issues, Multilateral treaty making Process, Strengthening the role of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security and other important issues with eminent jurists, some of whom later became Judges of the International Court of Justice. Sircar has led Bangladesh Delegations to as many as 25 international conferences and has chaired in several of them.

He was elected Member of Parliament four times and he held cabinet positions as the

1. Minister of State for Public Works and Urban Development (Habitat)
2. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
3. Minister of State for Land Administration and Land Reforms
4. Minister for Science and Technology
5. Minister for Education and
6. Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

Presidency

He was speaker of the parliament when, on June 21, 2002, he became acting president because of the resignation of A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury. He remained acting president until a new president was elected on September 6, 2002.

Personal life

Jamiruddin Sircar is a very simple and friendly person. He was married to Begum Nur Akhtar. He has a daughter and two sons. All three children of him is in law profession.^[3]

Publications

Sircar has authored several books, among which to name a few are as follows:^[4]

• Glimpses of International Law (1997);
• The Law of the Sea (2003);
• Stronger United Nations for Peaceful Welfare World (2003);
• London-er Chatro Andolon Bangla (2005);
• London-e Bondhu Bandhob Bangla (2006);
• Oshtom Shongshoder Speaker Bangla (2006);
• Pal Raj theke Plolashi ebong British Raj theke Bongo Bhobon Bangla (2006).
• Law of the International Rivers and others Water Courses (2007);
• Pakistan-er Gonotontrer Biporjoy ebong Shadhin Bangladesh-er Obbhuddoy Bangla (2008);

References

Presidents of Bangladesh (List) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Syed Nazrul Islam† Abu Sayeed Chowdhury Mohammad Mohammadullah Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem Ziaur Rahman Abdus Sattar Hussain Muhammad Ershad A. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury Hussain Muhammad Ershad Shahabuddin AhmedI Abdur Rahman Biswas Shahabuddin Ahmed A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury Muhammad Jamiruddin SircarI Iajuddin Ahmed Zillur Rahman Abdul Hamid (I) interim (†)acting