Farooq Sobhan

Farooq Sobhan (born 17 September 1940) is a former Bangladeshi diplomat. He served in various capacities in the Bangladesh government and foreign service. He was Bangladesh's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China (1987–1990) and High Commissioner to Malaysia (1984–1987) and the Republic of India (1992–1995) as well as the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh (1995–1997).

Farooq Sobhan
Born (1940-09-17) 17 September 1940
Calcutta, British India (now India)
NationalityBangladeshi
Alma mater
RelativesRehman Sobhan (brother)

Early life and career

Sobhan was born in 1940 in Calcutta during British rule into a Bengali Muslim family.He did his schooling in St. Paul's School, Darjeeling.He attended the University of Dhaka and the University of Oxford before joining the Foreign Service of Pakistan. He is also the younger brother of Professor Rehman Sobhan, an economist.

He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Investment in with rank and status of a State Minister. Presently, Sobhan is the President of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, a renowned private think-tank in the country that focuses on private sector development.

Sobhan is the President and CEO of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), an independent research institute for the development of the private sector in Bangladesh.[1]

Sobhan was Executive Chairman, Board of Investment (BOI) and Special Envoy to the Prime Minister 1997-1999. He served as Chairman of the Group of 77 at the UN 1982-1983, and was Chairman, UN Commission on TNCs 1991-1992. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), based in Kathmandu and was Co-Chairman of the Coalition for South Asian Co- operation (CASAC) from 1994-2001.[1]

Sobhan was a visiting professor at the Elliott School for International Affairs at George Washington University in 2003, where he taught a post graduate course on South Asia. He is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the independent Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), established in Dhaka in September 2007. He is the Chairman of an Advisory Committee on Counter Terrorism established in 2006, which includes senior officials of the government.[1]

Sobhan's publications include a book entitled Opportunities for South-South Co-operation and as co-author, Shaping South Asia’s Future: Role of Regional Co-operation.

Election for Secretary-General position

Sobhan was the principal challenger to Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon when McKinnon stood for election at the 1999 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.[2] He stood on a platform of changing the emphasis of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group from infringements on the Commonwealth's democratic principles to 'any economic or environmental crisis'.[3] The result of the vote (which remains secret), is said to have been thirty-six votes for McKinnon to sixteen for Sobhan, although, continuing the pattern set for Chief Emeka Anyaoku at the 1989 CHOGM, the result was announced as 'unanimous'.[2]

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References
  1. "BEI Team". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
  2. Ingram, Derek (January 2000). "Commonwealth Update". The Round Table. 89 (353): 13–8. doi:10.1080/750459450.
  3. Colvile, Robert (July 2004). "A Place to Stand: the Problems and Potential of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group". The Round Table. 93 (375): 343–53. doi:10.1080/0035853042000249942.
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