Akbar Hossain
Encyclopedia
Akbar Hossain was a veteran of the Bangladesh Liberation War
and a Minister
in three Bangladesh
governments.
, he joined the army at Kakul
Military Academy in Pakistan
in May 1966, after his commission he was posted to the 31 Baluch Regiment. While serving he studied for his BA
at the University of Dhaka
, receiving it in 1969.
Hossain joined the War of Independence
in 1971 first under Khaled Musharraf and then with the Z force headed by Ziaur Rahman
.
He was decorated for gallantry, receiving the 'Bir Protik' for his role in the War.
After independence was won, he took voluntary retirement from the Bangladesh Army
at the end of December 1973, after attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
.
In 1977, the UPP merged with the Jatiyatabadi Front, Hossain left and joined in the with the formation of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP). He was first made Special Secretary and then held the position of Joint Secretary General and was one of the Vice-Presidents of the BNP up until his death.
In 1978 he was made Minister for Petroleum and Mineral Resources under the government of President Ziaur Rahman.
Hossain was first elected a Member of the Bangladesh Parliament in 1979, he represented the Comilla 8th constituency in the 2nd Jatiyo Sangshad
elections, a seat he was re-elected to four times.
During the military dictatorship
of General Hossain Mohammad Ershad
, Akbar Hossain was jailed on five separate occasions for coming into conflict with the regime.
After the ending of the military dictatorship and the election of Khaleda Zia
, the country's first female Prime Minister
. Hossain returned to government as Minister for the Environment and Forests in October 1993.
In October 2001 he was appointed Minister for Shipping after the BNP led four-party alliance won the 8th Jatiyo Sangshad elections, with a two-thirds majority and Khaleda Zia became the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the third time.
He died in Dhaka
in 2006 following a massive heart attack
.
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
and a Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
in three Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
governments.
Military career
Hossain was born in Kashari Patty in Comilla DistrictComilla District
The district of Comilla consists 4543 mosques, 379 temples, 98 churches, 34 Buddhist temples and six tombs.-Places of interest:Important landmarks include Kotbari, a cantonment, or military installation and Kandirpar, considered the heart of the Comilla district...
, he joined the army at Kakul
Kakul
Kakul is a town situated in the Kakul Valley at an elevation of 1300 metres, 5 km northeast of Abbottabad city near the Thandiani Hills, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The population is around 30,000.-History:...
Military Academy in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in May 1966, after his commission he was posted to the 31 Baluch Regiment. While serving he studied for his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
at the University of Dhaka
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
, receiving it in 1969.
Hossain joined the War of Independence
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
in 1971 first under Khaled Musharraf and then with the Z force headed by Ziaur Rahman
Ziaur Rahman
President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, was a Bangladeshi politician and general, who read the declaration of Independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971 on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He later became the seventh President of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1981...
.
He was decorated for gallantry, receiving the 'Bir Protik' for his role in the War.
After independence was won, he took voluntary retirement from the Bangladesh Army
Bangladesh Army
The Bangladesh Army is the land forces branch and the largest of the three uniformed service of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities in support of Bangladesh's security and defense strategies including defense of the nation's...
at the end of December 1973, after attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
Political career
He then became actively involved in politics and helped form the United People's Party (UPP) in January, 1974. He went on to become the Vice-President of the UPP.In 1977, the UPP merged with the Jatiyatabadi Front, Hossain left and joined in the with the formation of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP). He was first made Special Secretary and then held the position of Joint Secretary General and was one of the Vice-Presidents of the BNP up until his death.
In 1978 he was made Minister for Petroleum and Mineral Resources under the government of President Ziaur Rahman.
Hossain was first elected a Member of the Bangladesh Parliament in 1979, he represented the Comilla 8th constituency in the 2nd Jatiyo Sangshad
Jatiyo Sangshad
Jatiya Sangsad or National Assembly is the national parliament of Bangladesh. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 345 seats including 45 women reserved seats distributed on elected party position in the parliament, the occupants of which are called Members of Parliament or MPs...
elections, a seat he was re-elected to four times.
During the military dictatorship
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
of General Hossain Mohammad Ershad
Hossain Mohammad Ershad
Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad is a Bangladeshi politician who was President of Bangladesh from 1983 to 1990. Previously, he was Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army and then Chief Martial Law Administrator in 1982....
, Akbar Hossain was jailed on five separate occasions for coming into conflict with the regime.
After the ending of the military dictatorship and the election of Khaleda Zia
Khaleda Zia
Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until...
, the country's first female Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
. Hossain returned to government as Minister for the Environment and Forests in October 1993.
In October 2001 he was appointed Minister for Shipping after the BNP led four-party alliance won the 8th Jatiyo Sangshad elections, with a two-thirds majority and Khaleda Zia became the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the third time.
He died in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
in 2006 following a massive heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.