Biographical Data of Kamal Hossain

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Biographical Data of Kamal Hossain Personal Kamal Hossain, born 20 April 1937, Calcutta. Married Hameeda Hossain in 1964. Two daughters, Sara Hossain and Dina Hossain. Education 1944–49 St Xavier’s School, Calcutta. 1950–51 St Gregory’s School, Dhaka (secondary school). 1951–53 St Gregory’s College (renamed Notre Dame College), Dhaka (higher secondary). 1955 AB (Economics), University of Notre Dame, Indiana. 1957 BA (Honours in Jurisprudence), Queen’s College, University of Oxford. 1958 BCL, University of Oxford. 1964 DPhil, University of Oxford. Professional Career 1958–59 Research Student, Nuffield College, University of Oxford. 1959 Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn. 1959 Advocate, Dhaka High Court. 1962–67 Part-time lecturer at the Department of International Relations and the Department of Law, University of Dhaka. 1971– Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh. 1972 Chairman, Constitution Drafting Committee, Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh. 1972–75 Member of Parliament, Bangladesh. 1972 Minister of Law, Government of Bangladesh. 1973–75 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh. 1974–75 Minister of Petroleum and Minerals, Government of Bangladesh. 1975 Visiting Fellow, All Souls College, University of Oxford. 1976–78 Gwilym Gibbon Research Fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford. 1997 Dom Helder Camara Visiting Professor, Free University of Amsterdam. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2014 | doi 10.1163/9789004258242_016 306 Biographical data of Kamal Hossain Profession-Related Activities 1977– President, Bangladesh Branch, International Law Association (ILA). 1980–86 Chairman, ILA Committee on Legal Aspects of a New International Economic Order. 1989–95 Vice-Chairman, Bangladesh Bar Council. 1989– Council Member, Energy Law Section, LAWASIA. 1990–91 President, Supreme Court Bar Association, Bangladesh. 1990–95 Chairman, Gas Law Committee, International Bar Association. 1992–2002 Chairman, ILA Committee on Legal Aspects of Sustainable Development. 1993–98 Chairperson, Commonwealth Human Rights Advisory Commission. 1993–99 Board Member, Transparency International. 1993–2000 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law. 1993– Chairman, Bangladesh Legal Aid & Services Trust. 1994–2000 Board Member, International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, Montreal. 1995– Honorary Fellow, Institute of Mineral and Petroleum Law, University of Dundee. 1996 Member, Board of Directors, Forum for Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific. 1999 Vice Chairman, Forum for Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific. 1999–2005 Chairman (Panel), United Nations Compensation Commission, Geneva. 1999–2005 Chairman, Advisory Council, Transparency International. 2000– Member, Board of Governors, Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, Montreal. 2000– Vice-Chairman, International Law Association. 2002– Chairperson, South Asia Foundation, Bangladesh Chapter. 2005– Member, Advisory Council, Transparency International. 2005–07 Member, Commonwealth Commission on Respect and Understanding. 2007– Chairperson, Governing Council, South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (SAILS). 2008– Honorary Policy Advisor, United Nations Development Programme, Bangladesh. 2012– Member, Editorial Advisory Board, ICSID Review: Foreign Investment Law Journal..

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Advisory Council WI
ICC-01/05-01/08-466-Anx2 31-07-2009 1/2 IO PT Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice International Advisory Council Members Professor Hilary Charlesworth Director of the Centre for International Governance and Justice Australian National University Australia Professor Rhonda Copelon International Women’s Human Rights Law Clinic City University of New York Law School United States of America Associate Professor Tina Dolgopol Flinders University Australia Professor Paula Escarameia 1 Institute of Social and Political Sciences, Technical University of Lisbon Portugal Lorena Fries 2 President of Corporación Humanas Chile Sara Hossain Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh Barrister, Dr Kamal Hossain & Associates Bangladesh Rashida Manjoo 3 Law Faculty University of Cape Town South Africa Professor Mary Robinson 4 Chancellor of Dublin University School of Law, Trinity College, Dublin Department of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University Ireland Nazhat Shameem Barrister of the Inner Temple and the High Court of Fiji Fiji 1 Professor Paula Escarameia is also a member of the International Law Commission of the United Nations. 2 Lorena Fries is also a candidate for the CEDAW Committee 2010. 3 Rashida Manjoo is also the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women 4 Professor Mary Robinson is also a former President of the Republic of Ireland 1990-1997 and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 1997-2002. ICC-01/05-01/08-466-Anx2 31-07-2009 2/2 IO PT Dr. Heisoo Shin Former Vice-Chairperson of the CEDAW Committee South Korea Pam Spees Attorney at Law United States of America Associate Professor Dubravka Zarkov Institute of Social Studies The Netherlands Professor Eleonora Zieliñska Faculty of Law and Administration Institute of Penal Law Warsaw University Poland .
[Show full text]
Genocide and Mass Violence: Theories, Traumas, Trials and Testimonies
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE On GENOCIDE AND MASS VIOLENCE: THEORIES, TRAUMAS, TRIALS AND TESTIMONIES Special Conference Room, Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban, University of Dhaka Organized by: Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka PROGRAMME Thursday, March 24, 2016 Inaugural Session 10.00 am to 10.10 am Welcome and opening remarks by Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed Professor, Department of International Relations & Director, Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka 10.10 am to 10.20 am Keynote Address by Dr. Kamal Hossain Former Minister of Law (1972-73) & Lawyer 10.20 am to 10.30 am Speech by Chief Guest Mr. Asaduzzaman Noor Honorable Minister of Cultural Affairs, People’s Republic of Bangladesh 10.30 am to 10.40 am Remarks by Chairperson Professor Dr. AAMS Arefin Siddique Vice Chancellor, University of Dhaka 10.40 am to 10.50 am Vote of thanks by Professor Dr. Delwar Hossain Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka 10.50 am to 11.00 am SESSION BREAK Plenary Session on Theories of Genocide and Mass Violence Chairperson: Advocate Sultana Kamal, Executive Director, Ain-O-Shalish Kendro Designated Discussants: Professor Ehsanul Haque, Chair, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka Dr. Ayesha Banu, Associate Professor, Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Dhaka 11.0 am to 11.25 am Dr. Bina D’Costa, Senior Research Fellow and Director of Studies, Department of International Relations, Australian National University Rethinking Genocide Theories: Emotions and the Logics of Mass
[Show full text]
Mujibur: You Know the History of My Country. Its Condition After the War Was Likened to That of Germany in 1945
DECLASSIFIED A/ISS/IPS, Department of State E.O. 12958, as amended October 11, 2007 MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION PARTICIPANTS: President Gerald R. Ford His Excellency Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Kamal Hossain, Foreign Minister Ambassador M. Hossain Ali Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs DATE AND TIME: Tuesday - October 1, 1974 3:00 p.m. PLACE: The Oval Office The White House [The press was admitted briefly for photos. There was a discussion of pipe tobacco and Mrs. Ford's condition. The press was ushered out. ] President: It was a shock to us. We had to make the decision for the operation, then wait for them to determine malignancy, and so forth. Mujibur: I sincerely hope she is out of danger. President: Yes, the prognosis cannot be certain, but only two nodes out of 30 were malignant. It is good to have you here. It is the first time an American President has met with the head of state of Bangladesh. Mujibur: Yes. I am happy to have the opportunity to talk with you about my people. President: We are happy to do what we can for all countries. Mujibur: You know the history of my country. Its condition after the war was likened to that of Germany in 1945. I want to thank you for your help to us. Before the war we were divided by India. The capital was all in DECLASSIFIED A/ISS/IPS, Department of State E.O. 12958, as amended October 11, 2007 the west.
[Show full text]
Bribery & Corruption – Singapore
Bribery & Corruption First Edition Contributing Editors: Jonathan Pickworth & Deborah Williams Published by Global Legal Group CONTENTS Preface Jonathan Pickworth & Deborah Williams, Dechert LLP Albania Silva Velaj & Sabina Lalaj, Boga & Associates 1 Argentina Marcelo den Toom & Mercedes de Artaza, M. & M. Bomchil 7 Australia Justin McDonnell, David Eliakim & Natalie Caton, King & Wood Mallesons 15 Bangladesh Dr. Kamal Hossain, Dr. Kamal Hossain and Associates 25 Belgium Joost Everaert, Nanyi Kaluma & Anthony Verhaegen, Allen & Overy LLP 30 Brazil Maurício Zanoide de Moraes, Caroline Braun & Daniel Diez Castilho, Zanoide de Moraes, Peresi & Braun Advogados Associados 36 Canada Mark Morrison, Paul Schabas & Michael Dixon, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP 44 Cayman Islands Martin Livingston & Brett Basdeo, Maples and Calder 52 China David Tiang, King & Wood Mallesons 60 Czech Republic Helena Hailichová & Eva Haisová, Johnson Šťastný Kramařík, advokátní kancelář, s.r.o. 70 France Julia Minkowski & Romain Fournier, Temime & Associés 78 Germany Sascha Kuhn, Simmons & Simmons LLP 87 Hong Kong Kyle Wombolt, Robert Hunt & Janice Tsang, Herbert Smith Freehills 95 India Siddharth Thacker, Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe 105 Indonesia Kyle Wombolt, Charles Ball & Narendra Adiyasa, Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung (HBT) in association with Herbert Smith Freehills 113 Ireland Megan Hooper & Heather Mahon, McCann FitzGerald 121 Italy Roberta Guaineri & Francesca Federici, Moro Visconti de Castiglione Guaineri 131 Japan Daiske Yoshida & Junyeon Park, Latham & Watkins 142 Mexico Edgar M. Anaya & Paula Nava González, Anaya Abogados Asociados, S.C. 151 Singapore Ing Loong Yang & Tina Wang, Latham & Watkins 160 South Africa Dave Loxton, Werksmans Attorneys 168 Spain Esteban Astarloa & Patricia Leandro, Uría Menéndez Abogados 176 Switzerland Grégoire Mangeat & Fanny Margairaz, Eversheds Ltd 186 Thailand Kyle Wombolt, Chinnawat Thongpakdee & Michelle Yu, Herbert Smith Freehills (Thailand) Ltd 197 Turkey Gönenç Gürkaynak & Ç.
[Show full text]
Institute of Commonwealth Studies
University of London INSTITUTE OF COMMONWEALTH STUDIES VOICE FILE NAME: COHP Dr Kamal Hossain Key: SO: Dr Sue Onslow (Interviewer) KH: Dr Kamal Hossain (Respondent) SO: This is Sue Onslow talking to Dr Kamal Hossain at the Oxford and Cambridge Club in London on Monday, 8th December 2014. Sir, thank you very much indeed for agreeing to take part in the Commonwealth Oral Histories project. I wonder if you could please begin by reflecting on your view of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Secretary General’s particular assistance at the time of international crisis, leading up to the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. KH: Now, it was a very high profile role that the Commonwealth played. It was after the nine month military operations were over and the task of building the new state started. Recognition started to come in in early December. The military chapters were from 26 March to 16 December. On 16 December, the Pakistan forces surrendered and the process of recognition – which had already started in early December – accelerated. Sheikh Mujib, our first and founding President was in prison at the time in Pakistan, as was I. We both flew out together to London. We arrived here on, I think, 7 January 1972. That was our initial formal contact with the British government. We met Mr Edward Heath on that day. I think it was the 7th or 8th of January. Mr Harold Wilson was the Leader of the Opposition and he expressed solidarity. I don’t think we met anyone from the Commonwealth in the course of that transit through London, but it was interesting that the very strong support we had received from Britain was expressed by the fact that Mr Wilson was possibly our first visitor, and Mr Heath, who was away in Chequers, came back the same evening.
[Show full text]
Curriculum Vitae
Sara Hossain Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh Partner | Deputy Head of Chambers Dr Kamal Hossain and Associates Chamber Building 2nd Floor 122-124 Motijheel C.A. Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh T +8802 9552946, 9564954 | M +8801713 031828 E [email protected] Skype: sarahossain_3 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS 1989 Called to the Bar of England and Wales from the Honourable Society of Middle Temple, London, United Kingdom 1990 Enrolled as an Advocate of the District Court, Dhaka by the Bangladesh Bar Council 1992 Enrolled as an Advocate of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh 2008 Enrolled as an Advocate of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh EDUCATION 1988 B.A. (Hons) in Jurisprudence Wadham College, University of Oxford 1989 Barrister-at-Law Middle Temple, London PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2009-Present Partner, Dr Kamal Hossain and Associates Practice Areas: Administrative Law; Commercial and Corporate; Company Law; Family Law; General Practice; Human Rights; Litigation. 1 2003-2009 Associate, Dr Kamal Hossain and Associates 1997-2003 Legal Officer (South Asia) INTERIGHTS (International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights), UK 1990—1997 Associate, Dr Kamal Hossain and Associates 1989-1990 Pupillage with Mr Aminul Huq, Senior Advocate, former Attorney General of Bangladesh 1989 Pupillage at Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed and Associates AWARDS AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS 2016 Received a ‘Women of Courage’ award from the US State Department 2008 Named as a “Young Global Leader” by The World Economic Forum 2007 Named as an “Asia 21 Fellow” by The Asia Society, New York, USA 2005 Named as one of “Top Ten Leading Women”, in annual awards by Ananya (national Bengali language magazine) 1993-1994 Received “Human Rights Lawyer Award” by The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (now “Human Rights First”), New York, USA MAJOR CASES 1.
[Show full text]
Bribery & Corruption
Bribery & Corruption First Edition Contributing Editors: Jonathan Pickworth & Deborah Williams Published by Global Legal Group CONTENTS Preface Jonathan Pickworth & Deborah Williams, Dechert LLP Albania Silva Velaj & Sabina Lalaj, Boga & Associates 1 Argentina Marcelo den Toom & Mercedes de Artaza, M. & M. Bomchil 7 Australia Justin McDonnell, David Eliakim & Natalie Caton, King & Wood Mallesons 15 Bangladesh Dr. Kamal Hossain, Dr. Kamal Hossain and Associates 25 Belgium Joost Everaert, Nanyi Kaluma & Anthony Verhaegen, Allen & Overy LLP 30 Brazil Maurício Zanoide de Moraes, Caroline Braun & Daniel Diez Castilho, Zanoide de Moraes, Peresi & Braun Advogados Associados 36 Canada Mark Morrison, Paul Schabas & Michael Dixon, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP 44 Cayman Islands Martin Livingston & Brett Basdeo, Maples and Calder 52 China David Tiang, King & Wood Mallesons 60 Czech Republic Helena Hailichová & Eva Haisová, Johnson Šťastný Kramařík, advokátní kancelář, s.r.o. 70 France Julia Minkowski & Romain Fournier, Temime & Associés 78 Germany Sascha Kuhn, Simmons & Simmons LLP 87 Hong Kong Kyle Wombolt, Robert Hunt & Janice Tsang, Herbert Smith Freehills 95 India Siddharth Thacker, Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe 105 Indonesia Kyle Wombolt, Charles Ball & Narendra Adiyasa, Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung (HBT) in association with Herbert Smith Freehills 113 Ireland Megan Hooper & Heather Mahon, McCann FitzGerald 121 Italy Roberta Guaineri & Francesca Federici, Moro Visconti de Castiglione Guaineri 131 Japan Daiske Yoshida & Junyeon Park, Latham & Watkins 142 Mexico Edgar M. Anaya & Paula Nava González, Anaya Abogados Asociados, S.C. 151 Singapore Ing Loong Yang & Tina Wang, Latham & Watkins 160 South Africa Dave Loxton, Werksmans Attorneys 168 Spain Esteban Astarloa & Patricia Leandro, Uría Menéndez Abogados 176 Switzerland Grégoire Mangeat & Fanny Margairaz, Eversheds Ltd 186 Thailand Kyle Wombolt, Chinnawat Thongpakdee & Michelle Yu, Herbert Smith Freehills (Thailand) Ltd 197 Turkey Gönenç Gürkaynak & Ç.
[Show full text]
Tales from My Professional Life Nurul Islam
Tales from My Professional Life Nurul Islam With an introduction and comments by . KAS Murshid . Keith Griffin . Azizur Rahman Khan . Rehman Sobhan Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies www.bids.org.bd Published by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies E-17 Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar GPO Box No.3854, Dhaka-1207 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 880-2-8141722 Website: www.bids.org.bd Copyright © May 2016, BIDS Price: Tk. 100.00; US$ 10 Printed in Bangladesh at Dot Printing & Packaging 164 Shaheed Sayed Nazrul Islam Sarani (Old 3/2) Purana Paltan, Dhaka 1000 Contents Acronyms iv Introduction v Tales from My Professional Life 1 Nurul Islam Reflections Encounters with Nurul Islam 23 Keith Griffin Nurul Islam: Reminiscences and an Appreciation 31 Azizur Rahman Khan Nurul Islam: The Economist as a Freedom Fighter 39 Rehman Sobhan Acronyms AL Awami League BDI Bangladesh Development Initiative BER Bureau of Economic Research BIDE Bangladesh Institute of Development Economics BIDS Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies CPD Centre for Policy Dialogue EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GDP Gross Domestic Product GNP Gross National Product IEA International Economic Association IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute ILO International Labour Organization IMF International Monetary Fund NEI Netherlands Economic Institute NGO Non-governmental Organisation PIDE Pakistan Institute of Development Economics RTC Round Table Conference SDG Sustainable Development Goals UN United Nations UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund US United States WCARRD World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development WFP World Food Programme WHO World Health Organization WTO World Trade Organization 1 INTRODUCTION * K.
[Show full text]
Conflicting Interests: Islamic Fundamentalism and Militant
NES-12 PAKISTAN Nicholas Schmidle is a Phillips Talbot Fellow of the Institute studying identity and politics in Pakistan. ICWA Conflicting Interests: LETTERS Islamic Fundamentalism and Militant Secularism in Bangladesh Since 1925 the Institute of Current World Affairs (the Crane- By Nicholas Schmidle Rogers Foundation) has provided MARCH, 2007 long-term fellowships to enable outstanding young professionals THE HEAD OFFICE OF AL-MARKAZUL ISLAMI, a single tower, with frosted, to live outside the United States emerald-green windows, rises several stories above the coconut trees and rooftops and write about international in Muhammadpur, a neighborhood in central Dhaka. Down below, the streets of Bangladesh’s capital city of seven million emit an orchestra of teeming urbanity. areas and issues. An exempt Bicycle rickshaws ding-ding-ding along, decorated with handlebar tassels, tin wheel operating foundation endowed covers, and passenger carriages painted with faces of Bengali film stars. Cars, by the late Charles R. Crane, dump trucks, and passenger buses blast horns that play a four- or five-note jingle, the Institute is also supported by while ambulance sirens wail unnoticed. But none of the commotion reaches Mufti contributions from like-minded Shahidul Islam, the founder and director of Al-Markazul Islami, through the thick, individuals and foundations. Oz-colored windows of his fifth-story office. Al-Markazul Islami is an Islamic NGO providing free healthcare and ambu- lance services. Many Bangladeshis think it is just a cover. They say Shahidul’s real TRUSTEES business is jihad. In fact, he admits that some of the funds are used to build mosques Bryn Barnard and madrassas, or Islamic seminaries.
[Show full text]
Curriculum Vitae
TANIM HUSSAIN SHAWON Barrister-at-Law Advocate, Supreme Court Senior Associate Dr. Kamal Hossain & Associates Chamber Building 2nd Floor 122-124, Motijheel CA Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh T: +88-02 9552946/956 4954, 9560655 F: + 88-02 9564953 E: [email protected] PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS 2003 Enrolled as an Advocate in the District Court by the Bangladesh Bar Council 2007 Called to the Bar of England and Wales by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, London. 2008 Enrolled as an Advocate in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh EDUCATION 2007 Post-Graduate Diploma – Bar Vocational University of Northumbria United Kingdom 2006 LL.B. (Hons) The University of London, United Kingdom 2002 LL.M. University of Dhaka, Bangladesh 2001 LL.B. (Hons) University of Dhaka, Bangladesh 1 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Oct 2013- Senior Associate Present Dr. Kamal Hossain & Associates Practice areas: commercial and corporate, constitutional and administrative, arbitration, banking, labour and employment, energy and petroleum, telecommunication and public interest law Nov 2007 – Associate Oct 2013 Dr. Kamal Hossain & Associates 2008-2009 Secondment Shipping and International Trade Department, Eversheds LLP United Kingdom 2002-2003 Research Officer Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) Bangladesh 2002 Consultant Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) United Kingdom. 2001-2002 Intern Advocacy Unit Ain o Salish Kendra (Law and Mediation Centre) Bangladesh 2001-2002 Assistant Coordinator (Part-time) Empowerment through
[Show full text]
Dr. Kamal Hossain - Biographical Sketch
Dr. Kamal Hossain - Biographical Sketch Dr. Kamal Hossain is a notable Bangladeshi politician, stateman, and lawyer. He is credited as being one of the principal authors of the Constitution of Bangladesh. He was awarded a Bachelor of Jurisprudence degree with honors from the University of Oxford in 1957 and a Bachelor of Civil Law from the same institution in 1958. In 1964 he was awarded a Doctorate in International Law. He was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn, London. Dr. Hossain was arrested during the Bangladesh Liberation Was in April 1971 by the Pakistani Government and kept in custody in West Pakistan. He was released together with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman when both of them left Pakistan for London. After East Pakistan earned its independence and became Bangladesh, Dr. Hossain served in the Government of Bangladesh under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Minister of Law (1972- 1973), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1973-1975), and Minister of Petroleum and Minerals (1974- 1975). One of his earliest tasks as Minister of Law was the drafting of the Constitution of Bangladesh, which was completed in 1972. Dr. Hossain was a member of the Awami League in the early 1990s, when he formed his own political party, Gano Forum (People’s Forum). He has stood for election in several General Elections. Dr. Hossain is renowned worldwide as a jurist. He is a leading advocate in Bangladesh who has conducted a number of landmark cases and published in various law journals. He has a longstanding association with the United Nations and is a current member of the UN Compensation Commission.
[Show full text]
Islam, Politics and Secularism in Bangladesh: Contesting the Dominant Narratives
social sciences $€ £ ¥ Review Islam, Politics and Secularism in Bangladesh: Contesting the Dominant Narratives Md Nazrul Islam 1 and Md Saidul Islam 2,* ID 1 Department of Political Studies, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh; [email protected] 2 Division of Sociology, Nanyang Technological University, 14 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637332, Singapore * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +65-6592-1519 Received: 9 December 2017; Accepted: 27 February 2018; Published: 3 March 2018 Abstract: Since late 2000s, the political landscape in Bangladesh moved from democracy to an authoritarian kleptocracy, and experienced a new set of political and social narratives. This paper aims to contest some of these dominant/official narratives which have been discursively constructed and promoted by the secularist parties (including the ruling regime) and groups in Bangladesh over recent years. Examining the sociopolitical and historical facts and figures of the country, we have identified five major contested narratives related to (a) Bengali nationalism in East Pakistan, (b) foundational ideology of Bangladesh’s war of liberation, (c) state-sponsored Islamization in Bangladesh, (d) pro-liberation and anti-liberation dichotomy, and (e) war crimes trial. Drawing on a robust content analysis of the credible secondary sources substantiated by qualitative interviews, we have examined these dominant narratives and found that they are not supported by historical evidence and popular mandate, yet have been constructed largely to support and legitimize the current authoritarian regime. The paper offers both counter-narratives and some pragmatic policy recommendations to elude increasing polarization and sociopolitical instability and foster a peaceful democratic society in Bangladesh.
[Show full text]