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Qamrul Islam (born 1 June 1950) is an Awami League politician. He is a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Dhaka-2 constituency, and also a former minister of food from 2014 to 2018. Islam was the state minister of law, justice and parliamentary affairs in the second Hasina cabinet.

Career

Ismal was former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's defense lawyer during the 2007-2008 caretaker government rule in the Niko corruption case along with barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh.

Islam was elected to parliament in 2008 as a candidate of the Awami League from Dhaka-2. He received 180,172 votes while his nearest rival, Md. Matiur Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, received 124,600 votes. He was appointed the State minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in 2009. He prepared the Cantonment Board eviction notice which was sent to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to evict her from her cantonment residence. He recommended the removal of about 7.5 thousand criminal cases filed against Awami League politicians under the 2007-2008 Fakruddin Ahmed led caretaker government. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party criticized him for not removing cases filed against its leaders and alleged the government was filing new cases against them. He alleged the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was responsible for the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny in an effort to overthrow the government of Sheikh Hasina. He was the Joint Secretary General of the Dhaka unit of the Awami League.

Islam was elected unopposed in the 2014 election after other major parties boycotted the election. He was appointed the Minister of Food in 2014. He had been critical of the United States saying, "The US is the creator of the IS. The US is the original creator of militants. The US is trying to enter Bangladesh, saying militancy exists here.". Bangladesh Nationalist Party demanded his resignation in May 2015 alleging he had imported rotten wheat from Brazil.

Islam was convicted on contempt of court charges in 2016 over his comments on the conviction of Mir Quasem Ali by the International Crimes Tribunal. Shahdeen Malik claimed he had lost his right to ministerial position after the conviction and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party called for his resignation. Anisul Huq, Minister of Law, said he did not have to resign as the judges did not call for it but refrained from saying much as he feared he could be found guilty of contempt of court. He and A. K. M. Mozammel Huq, Minister of Liberation War Affairs were fined 50 thousand BDT each for making contemptuous statements about Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha. He called for Sinha's removal after meeting with Bangabandhu Awami Lawyers’ Association at the office of Dhaka Lawyers’ Association in August 2017.

Islam was blamed for increase in rise prices in 2017 due to lack of preparation after rice fields were damaged in floods. He denied reports of the government having low stock of food.

Islam served as the Minister of Food till 2018. He was re-elected in 2018 as a candidate of the Awami League from Dhaka-2. He received 339,581 votes while his nearest rival, Irfan Ibne Aman Omi of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, received 47,195. He was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry. In February 2022, he was appointed presidium member of the Awami League along with Mofazzal Hossain Maya.

Islam was re-elected on 7 January 2024 with 154,448 votes while his nearest rival, Dr Habibur Rahman, received 10,635 votes.

Islam was arrested from Uttara on 18 November 2024 after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government. He was charged with the death of a protestor in the 2024 quota reform protests. The Anti-Corruption Commission began an investigation against him, his wife, and children.

References

1. "Member profile". Government of Bangladesh. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
2. Shaikh, Emran Hossain (2 April 2018). "EC demarcation: Dhaka-2 constituency to be split in three". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
3. "List of 11th Parliament Members". Bangladesh Parliament. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
4. মাননীয় মন্ত্রীগণ [Honorable Ministers]. Cabinet Division (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
5. Adhikary, Tuhin Shubhra; Bhattacharjee, Partha Pratim (7 January 2019). "Hasina axes heavyweights". The Daily Star. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
6. "Honorable State Minister". Law and Justice Division. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
7. "Hasina claims innocence in Niko case". The Daily Star. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
8. ^ ""Bangladesh Parliament Election - Detail Results"". Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
9. ^ Sarker, Probir Kumar (26 July 2023). "Dhaka-2: Can BNP break Qamrul Islam's win streak?". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
10. "Notice on Khaleda within a week to quit house". The Daily Star. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
11. ^ "Govt recommends dropping 7,500". The Daily Star. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
12. "ISI behind BDR mutiny". The Daily Star. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
13. "Grassroots blame ministers, MPs". The Daily Star. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
14. "AL closer to majority before voting". New Age. 15 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
15. ^ "Ex-food minister Qamrul held in Dhaka". The Daily Star. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
16. "UNQUOTABLE QUOTES". The Daily Star. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
17. "BNP demands Qamrul's resignation". The Daily Star. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
18. ^ "Bangladesh ministers Qamrul, Mozammel do not need to resign over contempt of oath, law minister says". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
19. "Writ challenges holding posts by 2 ministers". The Daily Star. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
20. "Anisul: Qamrul, Mozammel need not to resign". Dhaka Tribune. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
21. "CJ comments: Ministers Qamrul, Mozammel fined". The Daily Star. 27 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
22. "Food minister demands removal of chief justice". The Daily Star. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
23. Ahmad, Reaz (13 July 2017). "Rice crisis catches Qamrul napping". The Daily Star. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
24. "Qamrul finds food stock sufficient". The Daily Star. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
25. ^ "Dhaka-2 - Constituency detail of Bangladesh General Election 2018". The Daily Star. 25 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
26. "Mofazzal Hossain Maya, Qamrul Islam become AL presidium members". The Daily Star. 7 February 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
27. "Qamrul wins by huge margin in Dhaka-2". Somoy TV. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
28. "Ex-food minister Qamrul on 8-day remand". The Daily Star. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
29. "ACC to investigate ex-minister Qamrul, 2 mayors for corruption, illegal assets". The Daily Star. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.

• Living people
• 1950 births
• Awami League politicians
• Ministers of food of Bangladesh
• Ministers of law, justice and parliamentary affairs of Bangladesh
• 9th Jatiya Sangsad members
• 10th Jatiya Sangsad members
• 11th Jatiya Sangsad members
• 12th Jatiya Sangsad members