Profile - H T Imam

H T Imam

General Information

Former Political Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister

Politics, Bureaucrat

Full Name: Hossain Toufique Imam

Affiliation: Bangladesh Awami League

Current Position: Deceased

Date of Birth: January 15, 1939

Date of Death: March 04, 2021

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Sirajganj

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

Hossain Toufique Imam better known as H T Imam (15 January 1939 – 04 March 2021) was a Bangladesh Awami League Politician, Bureaucrat and former Political Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He had been advising her on political affairs since 2014 with the rank and status of a Minister. He served as the cabinet secretary to the government of Bangladesh (Mujibnagar government) during the Liberation War of 1971.

Imam was born in Tangail town and grew up in several districts as his father, a public servant, was transferred frequently. He passed matriculation examination from Dhaka Collegiate School and intermediate from Pabna Edward College. Imam completed his BA (Honours) in Economics from Rajshahi University in 1956 and MA in Economics from Dhaka University in 1958. He also had a post-graduate diploma in development administration from the London School of Economics, UK in 1968.

Imam was appointed as the public administration affairs adviser to the prime minister after the Awami League formed the government following the 2008 election. After the 2014 elections, he was made the political affairs adviser to the prime minister till his death.

Imam has worked all his life to develop the spirit of the country’s independence and the Great War of Liberation. Besides, he played a leading role in running the government in the newly independent country. As a government official he also made important contribution to conducting the elections of Bangladesh Awami League in the national elections.

A short brief of H T Imam

Position held (Political):

1. Political: Co-chair, Election Committee, Bangladesh Awami League

2. Member, Advisory Council, Bangladesh Awami League

3. Chairman, Publicity Sub-Committee, Bangladesh Awami League

Position held (Governmental):

1. Governmental: Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for Political Affairs (with rank and status of Cabinet Minister)

2. First Cabinet Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh during the Great Liberation War of 1971.

3. Secretary, Cabinet Division (1972-1975).

4. Secretary, Roads and Road Transport Division, Ministry of Communications (1984- 1986).

5. Secretary, Planning Division (1986-1987).

6. Member, Planning Commission.

7. Founding Project Director of the Public Administration Training and Management Project, now BPATC, Savar, Dhaka (1978-1984).

8. Executive Director of Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority,

Training:

1. Course in Public Administration at the Institute of Public and Business Administration, University of Karachi (jointly run with the University of Pennsylvania), 1958.

2. Advanced Course in Administration and Development jointly run by the World Bank and the Bangladesh Administrative Staff College, 1979.

3. Advanced Course in training of public servants at the Public Administration Promotion Centre, Berlin conducted by the German (FRG) government and the UNDP, 1978.

4. Higher Administrative Training Course at the Indian Administrative Staff College, Hyderabad (jointly run with the FRG government), 1980.

Official visits abroad (for training):

1. National Training Institute (INTAN) and Malaysian Administrative, Modernization and Manpower Planning Unit (MAMPU), APDAC (UNDP-Kuala Lumpur).

2. The Civil Service Commission and the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP).

3. Indonesian Administrative Training Academy (LAN).

4. Ministry of Administrative Reforms and Civil Service Agency of Indonesia.

5. National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) and the Public Service Department of Thailand.

6. Maxwell Graduate School of Public Administration, Syracuse University, Boston University (Economics faculty), Duke University, Pennsylvania State University (Public Administration Faculty), U.S. Government Office of Personnel and Management, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University), Harvard Institute for International Development.

7. Administrative Staff College at Henley on Thames (UK).

8. National Administrative Institute (ENA), Paris.

9. Economic Development Institute (EDI) of the World Bank.

Social affiliations:

1. Life Member, Bangladesh Economic Association.

2. Life Member, Dhaka University Alumni Association.

3. Member, Under-privileged Children’s Education Programme – UCEP.

4. Chairman, Dhaka Collegiate School Alumni Association.

5. Member, Bangladesh Society for Training and Development (BSTD).

6. Adviser, Bangladesh Project Management Institute (BPMI).

7. Life Member, Gulshan Club.

8. Honorary Member, Dhaka Club.

9. Member, Officers’ Club.

Publications/papers:

1. Bangladesh Government 1971-75 (a fully documented 678 page history of the development and structure of the Government of Bangladesh from 1971 to August 1975); published in September, 2013.

2. ‘Bangladesh Government, 1971’ (a fully documented 650 page history of the War of Liberation, published in 2004).

3. "Mass Media and Economic Development" - a dissertation written for the London School of Economics, 1968.

4. "Policy Formulation in Bangladesh in the background of the Structure of Government" - a paper contributed to the APDAC, Kuala Lumpur, 1975.

5. "Policy Analysis in Bangladesh - with special reference to the New Investment Policy". Paper contributed to the APDAC, 1973.

6. "Decision Making in Bangladesh ", a paper for the Bangladesh Administrative Staff College, 1979.

7. Report on the International Seminar on Personnel Management in Public Administration, Dhaka, 1979.

8. Paper on "Public Servants and Economic Development", Contributed to the Establishment Division Seminar on the Second Five-Year Plan.

9. "Management and Public Administration Training in South-East Asia": Report prepared for the World Bank and UNDP on the Malaysian (INTAN), Indonesian (LAN), Philippines (DAP & Civil Service Commission) and Thai ( NIDA ) System, May, 1981.

Imam died on 4th March 2021 at the Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka. He was admitted to the hospital with multiple age-related complications, including kidney disease.