Sayed Ashraful Islam

Syed Ashraful Islam
Ministry of public administration
Assumed office
6 January 2009
General Secretary of Awami League
In office
2009 – 23 October 2016
Personal details
Born (1952-01-01) 1 January 1952
Mymensingh, East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan
Political party Bangladesh Awami League
Spouse(s) Sheila Thakur
Father Syed Nazrul Islam
Islam speaking at 5th Agro Tech Bangladesh in Dhaka (May 2015)

Sayed Ashraful Islam (born 1952) is a Bangladeshi politician of the Awami League. He is a Member of Parliament and Minister of Public Administration of the Government of Bangladesh.[1] Islam served for a time as Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.[2][3][4]

Early life

He was a Mukti Bahini member during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. He was involved in politics from the student life. He became the General Secretary of greater Mymensingh District Chhatra League and assistant publicity secretary of the central unit. He also worked as the Acting General Secretary of Awami League after the arrest of its general secretary, Abdul Jalil. Now he is working as the spokesman of Bangladesh Awami League Party. He is the eldest son of Syed Nazrul Islam, acting president of the Mujibnagar government in 1971.[5] He served as General Secretary of the Awami League.[6]

Political career

In 1975, following the killing of Islam's father in prison along with three other national leaders, he immigrated to the United Kingdom and lived in London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Whilst living in Tower Hamlets, he was involved in Bangladeshi community activism and played an important role in formation of Bangladesh Youth League (BYL). He was elected as an Education Secretary of Federation of Bangladeshi Youth Organisation (FBYO) and worked at an education project based at Montefiore Centre in Tower Hamlets. Before immigrating to the United Kingdom, he completed Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) in 1973 from Mymensingh Zillah School. He returned to Bangladesh in 1996 and was elected Member of Parliament (MP) from his home constituency, Kishoreganj Sadar, in the 7th national elections of Bangladesh. He was elected an MP in the 2001 election as well. He worked as a member of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign ministry. His electoral pledges include building up developed road and rail link from Dhaka to his home town, Kishoreganj. He is part of a committee to study the judicial pay scale.[7]

Controversy

He questioned the role of Bangladesh in the Saudi lead military alliance against terror.[8] He has criticised Bangladesh Bank and the Finance Ministry for the high rate of interest.[9]

Criticism of Muhammad of Yunus

Islam is known for his attacks on Nobel laureate and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus. In 2012, while was addressing a program for farmers of cooperatives, he verbally attacked Nobel laureate and Grameen Bank founder:[10]

His (Yunus's) basic subject is economics and he introduced microcredit programme, but did not get Nobel Prize in economics, ... He (Yunus) got Nobel Prize for Peace. But which war has he stopped with his activities and in which continent has he established peace through his microcredit program?

These days many of us know how one gets Nobel Prize. There are some countries in the world and a person's popularity increases once one has chips, cheese sandwiches and white wine in those countries.[11]

Criticism of American diplomats

Islam has also criticised American diplomats. In the same gathering where he criticised Muhammad Yunus, he criticised Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a TV program on ATN Bangla, alleging that she and the moderator, Munni Saha, were "attempting to undermine Bangladesh."[10][11]

In 2014, in a meeting in Khulna, Islam called the US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal, who was on an official visit to Bangladesh, "a minister of two pennies," and added that said she "cannot change the power in Bangladesh."[12] On the same occasion, he belittled the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Dan Mozena, calling him "maid Marzina."[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Parliamentary body summons BB's audit report". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "Awami League Central Working Committee". Bangladesh Awami League.
  3. ↑ "Ashraf calls upon BNP to do peaceful politics". The Daily Star. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "Syed Ashraful Islam declines comment after losing LGRD ministry". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "Bangabandhu remembered on Homecoming Day". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "PSC, EC to get equal status". The Daily Star. BSS. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Cabinet committee to work on judiciary pay scale". www.dhakatribune.com. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Ashraf questions joining Saudi alliance". The Daily Star. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "Syed Ashraf flays finance minister, Bangladesh Bank for 'high' interest rate on loans". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Ashraf snipes at Yunus". The Daily Star. The Daily Star. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  11. 1 2 "Syed Ashraf swipes at Yunus, Hillary Clinton". Financial Express. Financial Express. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  12. ↑ "Nisha Desai is a minister of two pennies: Syed Ashraful". TheReport24.com. TheReport24.com. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  13. ↑ Ferdous, Hasan (4 December 2014). "Ashraf remarks may hurt US relations". Prothom Alo. Prothom Alo. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
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