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Zunaid Ahmed Palak

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Zunaid Ahmed Palak
জুনাইদ আহ্‌মেদ পলক
Palak at Bengali Wikipedia 10th Anniversary celebration (2015)
Minister of State for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology
In office
12 January 2014 – 6 August 2024
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Preceded byOffice Established
Succeeded byNahid Islam as Minister
Member of the Bangladesh Parliament
for Natore-3[1]
In office
7 January 2009 – 6 August 2024
Preceded byKazi Golam Morshed
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting
In office
7 January 2019 – 19 May 2019
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Preceded byTarana Halim
Succeeded byMurad Hasan
Personal details
Born (1980-05-17) 17 May 1980 (age 44)
Singra, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Political partyAwami League
OccupationPolitician and lawyer
Websitepalak.net.bd

Zunaid Ahmed Palak (born 17 May 1980)[2] is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and lawyer.[3][4][5] He is a former Minister of state for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Natore-3 constituency.[6][7][8]

Early life and education

Palak was born on 17 May 1980, to a Bengali Muslim family in the village of Serkol-Teligram in Singra, Natore District, Bangladesh. His father Fayez Ahmed was a prominent Politician and Telephone Exchange Operator, and mother Zamila Ahmed is a housewife.[9]

After completing his primary education from Singra Damdama Primary School, he received his SSC from Singra Damdama Pilot High School in 1995, and his HSC from Rajshahi College in 1997. He then studied political science at Dhaka College and gained an LLB from Gol-E-Afroz Govt. College under the National University, Bangladesh. Palak also completed the Capstone Course from National Defence College.[9]

Career

Palak was appointed Minister of State for Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Bangladesh on 12 January 2014, at the age of 34 years, making him the youngest Minister of Bangladesh.[10][11] He is also the first minister ever to be born in the independent Bangladesh.[12] He was nominaas a "Young Global Leader" in 2016 by the World Economic Forum. Also nominated as "World's 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government" 2018 by Apolitical, a London based international organization.At the age of 36, he got the nomination from the Bangladesh Awami League, in 2006 the National Elections of 2006. In 2008, he was nominated again, and was elected by a large margin, becoming the youngest member of the ninth National Assembly of Bangladesh.[13] In June 2017, he was nominated as chairman of the Advisory Committee of International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC), Bangladesh chapter.[14] In his early twenties, he followed his father's footsteps in politics and became a member of the Bangladesh Awami League party.[15]

Palak with Robot Sophia and its creator

Ahmed also was a committee member where he planned to incorporate "Green Technologies" into its office building principles, to reduce carbon emissions into the environment. He said that the building of offices and residences using green technology would not release any carbon in the environment, while the wastes would be recycled and produce energy. He also expressed that a delegation from India was on their way to discuss different technological issues including the building of zero carbon emitting buildings. He further added:[16]

We asked the ministry concerned to take a pilot project to build its office building using green technology as part of the initiative. Several other lawmakers and I shared our experience of recent visit to the southern state of Karnataka and West Bengal of India where we saw offices and houses were built using green technology.

Palak has been president of the Bangladesh Carrom Federation since 2009, and vice president of the International Carrom Federation since 2011.[17]

Personal life

Palak is married to Arifa Jesmin Konika.[18][19][20]

Controversies

Palak was criticized for shutting down the internet during the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement which caused mass upsurge that ultimately led to the fall of Hasina. He made various confusing statements about shutting down the internet throughout the country have caused a storm of criticism among netizens.[21] Among them included attributing the internet shutdown to fires caused by "miscreants" and denying government involvement, both of which were found to be false.[22][23]

After launching broadband internet on 23 July, the government shut down Facebook and TikTok. However, Palak was seen to be active on Facebook and TikTok, prompting more criticism.[24]

On 6 August, Palak attempted to flee to New Delhi, India after Sheikh Hasina's resignation as Prime Minister the previous day. However, he was barred from boarding his flight by employees of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and taken under custody in immigration.[21][25]

References

  1. ^ "Those who are new state ministers". The Daily Star. 6 January 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Constituency 60_11th_En". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Zunaid Ahmed: From nearly nothing to millionaire". Prothom Alo. 10 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Post offices to be converted into smart service points: Palak". The Daily Star. 19 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Student protests: Mobile internet restored in violence-hit Bangladesh". Business Standard. 28 July 2024. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Natore-3: Palak wins 4th term". The Daily Star. 8 January 2024.
  7. ^ Fayez, Ahmed (7 January 2019). "Extraordinary polling by ministers". New Age. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Digital inclusion can create a world of equal opportunities: Palak". The Business Standard. 23 June 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Timeline - Zunaid Ahmed Palak". Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  10. ^ "About - Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP". Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Bangladesh to end nationwide mobile internet shutdown; students vow to resume protest". The Times of India.
  12. ^ "Zunaid-Ahmed-Palak-MP". lict.gov.bd.
  13. ^ "Protect S Asian water resources". The Daily Star. 1 September 2009.
  14. ^ "Palak nominates as Chairman of AIESEC Advisory Committee". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017.
  15. ^ "Early life of Zunaid Ahmed Palak".
  16. ^ "'Green office' planned in ICT ministry". The Daily Star. 25 January 2010.
  17. ^ "Leveraging ICT". Leveraging ICT.
  18. ^ "Palak's assets leap 140 times, wife's 167 times". New Age (Bangladesh). 10 December 2023. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023.
  19. ^ "State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak watches 'Priyotoma' with family". The Daily Star. 3 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Zunaid Ahmed Palak, his two sons test positive for Covid-19". The Business Standard. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Palak detained at airport". Prothomalo. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Residential internet services to resume tonight: Palak". Somoy TV.
  23. ^ "খাজা টাওয়ারে ডাটা সেন্টারের কোনো ক্ষতি হয়নি: মুঠোফোন গ্রাহক অ্যাসোসিয়েশন". jjdin. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Why state minister Palak active on Facebook despite restrictions?". Prothomalo. 28 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  25. ^ "Palak detained at Dhaka airport while attempting to flee to Delhi". Dhaka Tribune. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
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