Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee
The 79-year-old politician Zillur Rahman, who is scheduled to take oath of office as the 19th president of the republic this evening, was born on March 9, 1929 at Bhairab in Kishoreganj.
His father, the late Mohammad Meher Ali Miah, was a lawyer. Meher was then also the chairman of then Mymensingh local board and member of then district board. Zillur joined politics in his student life.
Zillur lost his wife, Begum Ivy Rahman, who was also the women affairs secretary of the Awami League, in 2004. Ivy, along with 23 others, was killed after being injured in a grenade attack on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on August 21, 2004.
He is father of a son and two daughters.
Zillur received his intermediate degree from Dhaka College and master’s degree in history from Dhaka University. He also received his law degree from the university in 1954. He played a significant role in the language movement in 1952.
He was expelled from Dhaka University for his involvement in the language movement.
Zillur had been close to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in all movements, including the ones in 1962, 1966 and 1969.
He was elected lawmaker to the ninth parliament and in the parliamentary elections in 1973, 1986, 1996 and 2001 for the Kishoreganj 6 (Kuliarchar-Bhairab) constituency.
He was also elected to the provincial council (Pradeshik Parishad) in the 1970 elections. He was one of the frontline organisers of the war of independence in 1971.
Zillur was made general secretary of the Awami League in 1972 when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh, was president of the party. Zillur was again made general secretary of the party when Sheikh Hasina, Mujib’s daughter, was the president of the Awami League.
Zillur had been imprisoned for four years after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. He was again imprisoned in 1986 when he was a lawmaker during the government of HM Ershad.
Zillur was the LGRD and cooperatives minister in 1996–2001 during the government of Sheikh Hasina.
Zillur was made the acting party president after Sheikh Hasina had been arrested in 2007 during the military-controlled interim government amid the state of emergency.
He was also made the deputy leader of the Awami League Parliamentary Party following the party’s landslide victory in the December 29 general elections.
On January 3, the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, announced to name Zillur as head of the state.
Zillur on February 8 submitted his nomination for the presidential election. The Election Commission on Wednesday announced Zillur Rahman elected unopposed president of the republic as there were no other contestants against him.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
