Profile - A S M Abdur Rab

A S M Abdur Rab

General Information

One of the four caliphs of Bangabandhu

Politics

Full Name: A S M Abdur Rab

Affiliation: Jatya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD)

Current Position: President

Date of Birth: 1945

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Noakhali

Constituency: 278, Laxmipur-4

Term: Third (3rd-1986, 4th-1988, 7th-1996-12 June)

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

A S M Abdur Rab (born 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician, former minister and former Member of Parliament represented Laxmipur-4 constituency. Rab is one of the four caliphs of Bangabandhu, one of the organizers of the Liberation War. He was one of the student leaders during the liberation war. He was an activist of 'Swadhin Bangla Biplobi Parishad' (also known as Nucleus) and leader of Chhatra Sangram Parishad. He is known to be one of the bearers of history in Bangladesh.

Rab was born in Noakhali district. He was general secretary of the student political organization East Pakistan Chhatra League from 1969 to 1970. He was the leader of the 1969 mass uprising in East Pakistan. He was the first person to hoist the Flag of Bangladesh on 2 March 1971 as the vice president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union.

Rab is one of the organizers of the liberation struggle of Bangladesh. Under the leadership of Chhatra League leader Nur-e-Alam Siddique, Abdul Quddus Makhan, and Shajahan Siraj, the flag of independent Bangladesh was hoisted in Dhaka University on 2 March 1971. A flag of independent Bangladesh was first inaugurated by A S M Abdur Rab. In the historic Bot-tala of Dhaka University, A S M Abdur Rab handed over the flag of Bangladesh to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. After the independence of Bangladesh, Rab formed the left-wing Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (National Socialist Party). On October 31, 1972 Rab along with Serajul Alam Khan and Shajahan Siraj, took a stand against the government led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. At the first national conference of the party on 23 December, Major Jalil, President, A S M Abdur Rab was elected General Secretary and Shahjahan Siraj Joint General Secretary and Vice-President Hasanul Haque Inu. The JSD was born with the conviction of establishing socialism in a revolutionary way.

Rab led the rally on 17 March 1974 towards the residence of the Home Minister at Ramna amid Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini led firing upon the crowd. Rab is a survivor of the 1974 Ramna massacre. President Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem released M A Jalil and Rab after taking power because of the involvement of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal in the coup which was launches by left-wing army personnel in collaboration with left-wing politicians in 7 November 1975.

In 1985, Rab and his followers left the party and formed a new party Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, known as JSD (Rab). He became the leader of the opposition in 1988 under the Ershad Government. He again served as the Jatiya Sangsad Member from Lakshmipur-4 and the Minister of Shipping and later the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock during 1996-2001 of the first Sheikh Hasina Cabinet.