Saifur Rahman (Bangladeshi politician)
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Saifur Rahman | |
|---|---|
| File:Saifur Rahman.png | |
| Member of Parliament for Maulvibazar-3 | |
| In office 15 February 1996 – 29 December 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Azizur Rahman |
| Succeeded by | Syed Mohsin Ali |
| Member of Parliament for Sylhet-1 | |
| In office 1 October 2001 – 29 December 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Humayun Rashid Chowdhury |
| Succeeded by | Abul Maal Abdul Muhith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 1932 Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Bangladesh |
| Died | September 5, 2009 (aged 77) Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh |
| Political party | Bangladesh Nationalist Party |
| Occupation | Chartered accountant |
M. Saifur Rahman (March 1932 – September 5, 2009; Bengali: সাইফুর রহমান) was a Bangladeshi politician. A chartered accountant by profession, he was a popular leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and served as the longest serving Finance Minister of Bangladesh.
Early life
Saifur Rahman was born in the village of Baharmardan, Moulvibazar, in the Sylhet region. He was one of the participants of the language movement which took place in 1952 of whom he was the vice-president of the Dhaka University's Muslim Hall.[1] He attended at the Dhaka University and graduated with a BA (Hons) in 1953. Later that year he studied in London, England until 1958, where he obtained a fellowship in chartered accountancy from the Institute of Chartered Accounts.[2] He became a specialist in Monetary, Fiscal and Development Economics.[3] He was the president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh, a principal of Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs,[4] and president of Bangladesh Jatishangha Samiti. Rahman joined a political party coalition called the Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal in 1977, a coalition of political supporters of the late former president Ziaur Rahman, which then became known as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in 1978.[1]
Political career
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Since 1978, Rahman was a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the party came into power after a general election in 1979. Rahman was appointed as the finance minister of the first BNP government under Ziaur Rahman, which he served until 1980.[5]
Minister of Finance
Saifur Rahman prepared a record 12 budgets in Bangladesh and has been hailed for opening up Bangladesh's economy in the early 1990s and pioneering major economic reforms. Especially his role is cited positively for the expansion of Bangladeshi economy particularly after the country appeared to have entered into a process of consistent democratic practice.[2]
General Elections
General elections of 2001 came as triumphant to M. Saifur Rahman and according to the observers have reflected the position M. Saifur Rahman used to have in his constituency. Contesting on behalf of his party Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the parliamentary constituency Maulvibazar-3, he secured a 52% of the total votes pushing behind his nearest contestant Azizur Rahman of Bangladesh Awami League who secured 95,319 votes.[6] In another contest at the constituency Sylhet-1, Saifur Rahman here too secured a 53% of the total votes having his categorical counterpart in Awami League Abul Maal Abdul Muhith defeated and satisfied with only 95,089 votes.[7] As per the constitution Saifur had to leave blank one of his won constituencies to proceed the house session. He decided to left the Maulvibazar-3 seat which was later retaken by his son M. Naser Rahman also representing Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[8]
However in the general elections in 2008, Saifur Rahman had to concede defeat in Sylhet-1 constituency to Abul Maal Abdul Muhith receiving 140,367 votes against Muhit's 178,636 votes for the Awami League. Muhit like Saifur Rahman, has been the choice of his party to chair the Ministry of Finance, which made the idiom stood up that Sylhet-1 is being a sole provider of finance ministers. The Maulvibazar-3 constituency too went away Saifur Rahman where he had to conceded defeat to Awami League candidate Syed Mohsin Ali lacking 32,026 votes.
Personal life
Saifur Rahman had three sons and a daughter. His wife, Duree Samad Rahman, died of cancer in 2006. One of his sons, M. Naser Rahman, was a successful contender in by-elections for his left constituency of Maulvibazar-3 in 2001.
Death
Saifur Rahman died in a road crash on September 5, 2009, in Brahmanbaria District on his way to Dhaka from his home district of Maulvibazar. He was pulled out unconscious from the car crash and was declared dead after being rushed to a hospital the same day.[9] On Friday he was in Sylhet visiting the shrines of Hazrat Shah Jalal and Shah Paran, then headed for Moulvibazar. A total of five janazah prayers were held for Rahman, the first of which took place in Gulshan Azad Mosque, then at the BNP offices, at the Parliament buildings, Shahi Eidgah Maidan and at Moulvibazar Government High School.[10] The BNP began three day mourning for the passing. He will buried at his village in Baharmardan.[11]
References
- ^ a b Saifur Rahman's life sketch The Daily Star. September 5, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-09-05.
- ^ a b Pijush Kanti Acharya (2009-09-05) Veteran BNP leader Saifur Rahman dies in road accident bdnews24. Retrieved on 2009-09-05.
- ^ Saifur Rahman Silobreaker. Retrieved on 2009-09-05.
- ^ BILIA Retrieved on 2009-09-05.
- ^ Ex-Bangladesh finance minister dies in car crash Yahoo News. Retrieved on 2009-09-05.
- ^ General Election Results - Bangladesh 2001, Maulvibazar-3.
- ^ General Election Results - Bangladesh 2001, Sylhet-1.
- ^ http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=141948&cid=2
- ^ "M Saifur Rahman dies in B'baria road crash". bdnews24.com. 05 September 2009.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) [1] - ^ Saifur dies in car crash The Daily Star. Retrieved on 2009-09-05.
- ^ Nation pays homage to Saifur The Daily Star. Retrieved on 2009-09-05.