Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was named the 7th secretary general of Bangladesh Nationalist Party – BNP on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 after the 6th National Council. He had been working as acting secretary general since Sunday, March 20, 2011. Before, he was given the position of senior joint general secretary after the party’s fifth National Council on Monday, December 8, 2009.
Student life
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir began his political expedition in the 1960s when he was a student at the Department of Economics at the University of Dhaka. That time He joined East Pakistan Students Union (EPSU), student wing of Pakistan Communist Party during his student life at the University of Dhaka. Later, at that time, he was elected as the secretary general of the organization’s SM Hall unit at the university. At the peak of the 69’s mass uprising against Ayub Khan, Mr. Alamgir emerged as the organization’s University President.
Career
After the war of independence, he left politics and entered into his career of teaching in the government’s education cadre.
In 1972, Alamgir joined Dhaka College as a teacher and taught economics there.
Later, he joined in government administration. Among other government responsibilities, Alamgir worked for the Bangladesh government’s Directorate of Inspection and Audit as an auditor.
Alamgir also worked in the President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam’s administration, as a secretary of Deputy Prime Minister S.A. Bari, till Mr. Bari’s resignation in 1982. Then he moved to Thakurgaon Government College and continued his teaching career till 1986.
Political career
Alamgir resigned from his government job in 1986 to take preparation to run for Chairman of Thakurgaon municipality. He won the post as a neutral candidate in 1988.
Mr. Alamgir joined Bangladesh Nationalist Party – BNP in the early days of 1990, at the time when countrywide anti Ershad movement reached at the final phase.
In 1992, Alamgir was nominated as president of the BNP’s Thakurgaon district unit.
Alamgir ran in the 5th and 7th parliamentary elections in 1991and 1996 from Thakurgaon-1 constituency from BNP but lost. In the 8th parliamentary election in 2001, as a BNP candidate, Alamgir defeated Awami League candidate Ramesh Chandra Sen by 37,962 votes, garnering 1,34,910 votes.
Mr. Alamgir joined the Begum Khaleda Zia’s cabinet in 2001 as the state minister of the Agriculture and later in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to the end of that government.
Alamgir ran again in the 9th parliamentary election in 2008 but lost.
The 5th National Council of BNP on Monday, December 8, 2009 named Alamgir senior joint secretary general, a post previously held by Mr. Tarique Rahman who was promoted to Vice Chairman at the same council meeting.
Alamgir was named acting secretary general of the BNP by its chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia, following the death of secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain on Sunday, March 20, 2011
Personal life
Alamgir is married to Rahat Ara Begum, who attended University of Calcutta and presently works in an insurance company in Dhaka. The couple has two daughters, Mirza Shamaruh and Mirza Safaruh. Shamaruh attended University of Dhaka and was a teacher in the institution. She is now working as a scientist in federal government of Australia. Safaruh, also a University of Dhaka graduate, teaches at a school in Dhaka.
Alamgir’s father, Mirza Ruhul Amin, was a lawyer and BNP politician. He was elected as an MP several times.
Alamgir’s uncle, Mirza Golam Hafiz, was a BNP politician who served as the Minister of Land (1978–79), Minister of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs (1991–96), and was elected MP from a Dhaka constituency in 1979. Hafiz was the speaker of the 2nd national parliament of Bangladesh (1979–82).
Another uncle, Wing Commander S.R. Mirza, served in the first government of Bangladesh that was formed in exile (the Mujibnagar Government) in April 1971. He was named to head the newly formed Directorate of Youth Camps that oversaw training facilities for freedom fighter recruits in 1971.