Iajuddin Ahmed
Encyclopedia
Iajuddin Ahmed (born February 1, 1931) was President of Bangladesh
from 2002 to 2009.
of Dhaka District
, erstwhile Bengal
province, British India (now Munshiganj District
, Bangladesh). As the son of Moulvi Ibrahim Mia, Ahmed obtained his B.Sc. and M.S.
at the University of Dhaka
in 1952 and 1954 respectively and later received his M.S.
and Ph.D.
degrees in 1958 and 1962 respectively from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in the United States
.
of Salimullah Muslim Hall.
Ahmed was responsible for inventing a process of preserving nutrients in the soil and later releasing them according to the needs of the vegetation. Professor Ahmed also worked as visiting professor in Cornell University
in the United States in 1984 and the German Technical University and University of Göttingen in Germany in 1984. Ahmed and his current wife, Dr. Anwara Begum, have one child, son Imtaz; he has two others, daughter Susan and son Adam, by a prior marriage. He also has a granddaughter Aurora and Beryl.
During '90 Prof. Ahmed was the president of Federation of University Teachers Association in Bangladesh (FUTA) and led the Anti-autocratic movement.
in Singapore
.
, and its allies opposed Ahmed as head of the caretaker government, alleging that he favoured Khaleda Zia
and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party
, and demanded his resignation from this position. The Awami League and its allies announced that they would boycott the election
. Four important advisors of his caretaker cabinet resigned in December 2006, accusing the Chief Adviser of making the decision of Army deployment while ignoring the advisor council's recommendation against it.
temporarily, abolished the board of advisors and announced a state of emergency
from that day until further announcement. The next day, Ahmed appointed Fakhruddin Ahmed
to be the new chief advisor.
Although his term as President was due to end on September 5, 2007, it was announced on that date that he would remain in office until after the election of a new parliament (planned to be held by late 2008), which was to in turn elect a president
, as the constitution provides for the president to remain in office until the election of a successor.
He left office on February 12, 2009, when Awami League leader Zillur Rahman
was sworn in to succeed him as President of Bangladesh.
President of Bangladesh
Since 1991, the President of Bangladesh is the head of state, a largely ceremonial post elected by the parliament. Since 1996, the President's role becomes more important after the term of the government has finished, when his executive authority is enhanced as laid down in the constitution of the...
from 2002 to 2009.
Early life
Ahmed was born in BikrampurBikrampur
Bikrampur pargana is situated 12 miles south of Dhaka, the modern-day capital of Bangladesh. It lies in the Munshiganj District of Bangladesh. It is a historic region in Bengal. The region is famous for its early Buddhist scholarships and in the later period for its cultural influences...
of Dhaka District
Dhaka District
Dhaka District is a district located in central Bangladesh, and is the densest district in the nation. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, rests on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River which flows from the Turag to the south of the district...
, erstwhile Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
province, British India (now Munshiganj District
Munshiganj District
Munshiganj also historically known as Bikrampur is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division and borders Dhaka District.-Geography:...
, Bangladesh). As the son of Moulvi Ibrahim Mia, Ahmed obtained his B.Sc. and M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
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...
in 1952 and 1954 respectively and later received his M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degrees in 1958 and 1962 respectively from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Teaching
Returning to his former university, he joined the University of Dhaka as an assistant professor in the Department of Soil Science. He moved up in the ranks until he became a full professor in the department. He held the post of chairman of the Soil Science Department of Dhaka University and dean of the Faculty of Biological Science of the same University. He was also provostProvost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
of Salimullah Muslim Hall.
Ahmed was responsible for inventing a process of preserving nutrients in the soil and later releasing them according to the needs of the vegetation. Professor Ahmed also worked as visiting professor in Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in the United States in 1984 and the German Technical University and University of Göttingen in Germany in 1984. Ahmed and his current wife, Dr. Anwara Begum, have one child, son Imtaz; he has two others, daughter Susan and son Adam, by a prior marriage. He also has a granddaughter Aurora and Beryl.
Political career
Prof. Ahmed was an adviser in the caretaker government in 1991. He was also chairman of the Public Service Commission from 1991 to 1993 and chairman of the University Grants Commission from 1995 to 1999.During '90 Prof. Ahmed was the president of Federation of University Teachers Association in Bangladesh (FUTA) and led the Anti-autocratic movement.
Presidency
Ahmed became President of Bangladesh in 2002 after becoming the only candidate to register for presidential elections.Bypass operation
On the afternoon of May 23, 2006, President Iajuddin Ahmed was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka. Sources at the CMH said he was seriously ill and was under the observation of a team of elite doctors. On their advice President Ahmed was taken to Singapore on Wednesday, May 24, 2006. The 75-year-old president underwent a successful by-pass heart operation at the Mount Elizabeth HospitalMount Elizabeth Hospital
Mount Elizabeth Hospital is a 373-bed private hospital in Singapore operated by Parkway Health. It was started in 1976 and officially opened in 8 December 1979....
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Chief Adviser of the Caretaker Government
Ahmed was sworn in as the Chief Adviser of the Caretaker Government at 8.00 pm (Bangladesh standard time) on October 29, 2006 after the main political parties failed to agree on a candidate. This move created controversy as the opposition parties alleged that the constitutional guideline on recruitment of the Chief Adviser was not properly followed. He was supposed to serve in an interim capacity to oversee the forthcoming elections, planned for January 22, 2007, while remaining president. The Awami League, headed by Sheikh HasinaSheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear...
, and its allies opposed Ahmed as head of the caretaker government, alleging that he favoured 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...
and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh...
, and demanded his resignation from this position. The Awami League and its allies announced that they would boycott the election
Election boycott
An election boycott is the boycotting of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting.Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system is biased against its candidates, or that the polity...
. Four important advisors of his caretaker cabinet resigned in December 2006, accusing the Chief Adviser of making the decision of Army deployment while ignoring the advisor council's recommendation against it.
Resignation as Chief Advisor
On January 11, 2007 Iajuddin Ahmed resigned from his position as Chief Advisor of the Caretaker Government, admitted the failure of the Election Commission and his government in creating a proper atmosphere for the election, bestowed the responsibility on Former Justice Fazlul HaqueFazlul Haque
Justice M. Fazlul Haque is a former High Court judge of Bangladesh, who served as the Chief Advisor of the non-partisan caretaker government of Bangladesh for two days in 2007.-Caretaker government:...
temporarily, abolished the board of advisors and announced a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
from that day until further announcement. The next day, Ahmed appointed Fakhruddin Ahmed
Fakhruddin Ahmed
Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed is a noted Bangladeshi economist, civil servant, and a former governor of the Bangladesh Bank, the country's central bank...
to be the new chief advisor.
Although his term as President was due to end on September 5, 2007, it was announced on that date that he would remain in office until after the election of a new parliament (planned to be held by late 2008), which was to in turn elect a president
Next Bangladeshi presidential election
Indirect presidential elections was to be held in Bangladesh on 16 February 2009 following the 2008 parliamentary election. This should have taken place by 5 September 2007, when Iajuddin Ahmed's term expired, but was postponed due to the lack of an elected parliament...
, as the constitution provides for the president to remain in office until the election of a successor.
He left office on February 12, 2009, when Awami League leader Zillur Rahman
Zillur Rahman
Md. Zillur Rahman is the President of Bangladesh and a senior presidium member of the Awami League...
was sworn in to succeed him as President of Bangladesh.