Rafiqul Islam Miah

Rafiqul Islam Miah is a Bangladeshi barrister and politician.[1] He served as the State Minister for Labour and Manpower and later as Minister of Housing and Public Works at the first Khaleda Zia cabinet during 1991–1996.[2] He also served as Minister of Education in the government formed after the February 1996 Bangladeshi general election.[3]

Rafiqul Islam Miah
রফিকুল ইসলাম মিয়া
Minister of Housing and Public Works
In office
1991–1996
Personal details
NationalityBangladeshi
Political partyBangladesh Nationalist Party

Early life and education

Rafiqul Islam Miah was born in 1943 in Muradnagar Upazila in Comilla District, Bangladesh. He attended Comilla Victoria Government College and later University of Dhaka where he obtained his LLB. In 1974 he obtained his Bar-at-law from Lincoln's Inn.

Career

Rafiqul was elected Vice President of the Student Council at Comilla Victoria Government College and Convener of Comilla District Chatra league in 1963 Awami League Convention. He was rustricated from Dhaka University for his role in the movement against the Ayub Khan regime and was also a part of 6 member all party student action committee as the acting President of Chatra Shakti. During Bangladesh Liberation War, on 28 April 1971, Rafiqul was one of the organizers of 'Action Bangla Desh' that protested the visit of the Pakistan cricket team to UK and was subsequently arrested. Between 1972 and 1974, Rafiqul was twice elected President of Lincoln's Inn Student Society.

Miah joined Bangladesh Nationalist Party as a publicity secretary in 1978 and rose to the rank of Joint Secretary General of the party during the mass movement against the Hussain Muhammad Ershad regime. He was frequently imprisoned and played an active role in the 1990 Mass Uprising in Bangladesh that eventually toppled the regime.

In September 2007, Miah served as the lawyer of Begum Khaleda Zia when she was arrested on charges of corruption and misuse of power.[4] In 2008 Rafiqul represented the Bihari community in Bangladesh as they were granted citizenship status by High Court of Bangladesh.[5] He is currently a member of the National Standing Committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Conviction

In 2001, Anti-Corruption Commission of Bangladesh sent Miah a notice to submit his wealth statement.[6] Failure to comply with that notice, in January 2004, led a case filed against him.[7] On 19 November 2018, he was sentenced to three years in prison and was arrested from his Eskaton home the same day .[8] On 26 November, he secured a six-month bail from the High Court which also stayed the fines.[9]

References
  1. "Rafiqul Islam Mia arrested hours after conviction". The Daily Star. 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  2. Hunter, B. (2016-12-23). The Statesman's Year-Book 1993-94. Springer. p. 186. ISBN 9780230271227.
  3. "Former Education Ministers".
  4. "Bangladesh police arrest a former prime minister". The New York Times. 2007-09-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  5. "Stranded Biharis now Bangladeshi Citizens". The Daily Star.
  6. "Senior BNP leader Rafiqul Islam arrested". Dhaka Tribune. 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  7. "Graft: BNP leader Rafiqul Islam sent to jail". The Daily Star. 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  8. "BNP senior leader Rafiqul Islam Miah arrested". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  9. "BNP leader Rafiqul Islam Mia gets bail from High Court". Dhaka Tribune. 2018-11-26. Retrieved 2019-01-11.


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