Full Name: Mohammad Abdul Jalil

Affiliation: Bangladesh Awami League

Current Position: Deceased

Date of Birth: January 21, 1939

Date of Death: March 07, 2013

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Naogaon

Constituency: 50, Naogaon-5

Term: Fourth (1st-1973, 3rd-1986, 8th-2001, 9th-2008)

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

Abdul Jalil (21 January 1939 - 7 March 2013) was a Bangladeshi politician, former minister, prominent businessman and former Member of Parliament represented Rajshahi-8 and Naogaon-5 constituency. He is a former Commerce Minister of Bangladesh Government and former General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League. There was also the Chief Whip of the Opposition. Until his death, he was a member of the Advisory Council of the Bangladesh Awami League. During the 1996-2001 Awami League regime, he served as the Commerce Minister of the government for several years.

Jalil was born in the village of Chakpran in Sadar upazila of Naogaon district. His father's name is Faizuddin Ahmed and mother's name is Zarina Fayez. Father Faizuddin Ahmed was a businessman. Jalil started his education in a local primary school. He completed his secondary education in the local educational institutions. He passed matriculation in 1957. After studying there, he was admitted to Rajshahi College. There he completed his high school education. Abdul Jalil was admitted to Dhaka University in 1960. Then in 1963 he graduated in political science (Honors) and graduated in 1964. He then went to London to study law. However, he had to return to the country in 1969 without finishing his studies.

Jalil was in London when the struggle for independence was intensifying in the country. He returned to the country in 1969 during the anti-Ayub movement. At the time, he was studying law at Lincoln's Inn in London. Jalil actively participated in the war of liberation. When Bangabandhu called for the war of liberation in March 1971, he started uniting the freedom fighters of Naogaon and the northern region. At the beginning of the War of Liberation, Jalil crossed the border from Naogaon with 74 freedom fighters and his entourage to India and took up position at a house near the crematorium temple on the east bank of the river Atrai at Balurghat. From there he conducted several training camps in the border areas of India including Bangalipur, Madhupur, Kamarpara and Parilla. He took the huge responsibility of sending the freedom fighters to Panighata in Siliguri for higher training from these camps. Most of the freedom fighters from Naogaon, Joypurhat, Dinajpur, Bogra, Sirajganj and Pabna took part in the liberation war after receiving training in these camps under the supervision of Jalil. After the war, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman described him as the General of the north. The Vijay Muktiyuddha Memorial was erected at Abdul Jalil Chattar on the north-western side of Naogaon city. The 71-foot-tall monument bears the memory of 1971.

Jalil’s political career began in the late 1950s. During his student life he started participating in various movements of that time. He was a close associate of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. One of his identities was as 'Jalil of Naogaon'. Jalil was the chief organizer and warrior of Sector 7 during the war of liberation in 1971. In the first parliamentary elections of 1973, he was elected as a Member of Parliament from the then Rajshahi-6 constituency as a candidate of Bangladesh Awami League. When Bakshal formed in January 25, 1975 he was given the responsibility of governor of Naogaon. He was arrested on 15 August 1975 after the assassination of Bangabandhu. He was released in 1979 after 4 years. In 1981, he was made the International Affairs Secretary of the Awami League. He was re-arrested in 1982 after a military coup. In 1983, he was appointed Joint Secretary General of the Awami League. He was elected chairman of Naogaon municipality twice in a row in 1984 and 1988. In 1986, he was elected Member of Parliament for the second time from Naogaon Sadar constituency and served as the Chief Whip of the Opposition in Parliament. He played an important role in the anti-authoritarian movement in the 1980s. Since then, his voice has been heard regularly on BBC Radio and Voice of America as a spokesman for the Awami League.

In 1993, Jalil was made a member of the Presidium of the Awami League. He held this position until 2002. When the Awami League won the 1996 general elections, he was appointed Minister of Commerce in the technocrat quota in 1998. He was elected Member of Parliament for Naogaon Sadar constituency in the 2001 and 2008 Jatiya Sangsad elections. He was the General Secretary of the Awami League from 2002 to 2009 and was a member of the Advisory Council till his death.

From 2002 to 2009, Jalil served as the General Secretary of Awami League. In 2006, he meet with Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Secretary General of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), to overcome the political impasse over the next national election.

On 28 May 2007, Jalil was arrested from headquarters of Mercantile Bank during the 2006-2008 Bangladeshi political crises. His health deteriorated in custody and the Awami League called for his release on health grounds. On 4 June 2007, he was admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. His condition worsened and he was shifted to Labaid Cardiac Hospital. On 18 December 2007, Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission sued him with Ramna Police Station. He had been after six months in detention. In July 2007, he criticized Sheikh Hasina, the chairperson of Awami League and former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and due to that he was replaced by Syed Ashraful Islam as acting General Secretary. In 2008, he was sent to Singapore on parole for treatment. He had been suffering from heart and kidney disease.

On 1 September 2008, Jalil returned to Bangladesh from Singapore following his treatment. During his detention he was unable to work as the General Secretary of Awami League and Joint General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam became the acting General Secretary. Following advice from Sheikh Hasina, Jalil decided to take a break from politics in September 2008.

On 30 January 2009, Jalil stated in the Jatiya Sangshad that he was tortured by Intelligence agents during the Bangladesh political crises under the Caretaker Government rule. He said that he was tortured for five days straight and that agents of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence recorded his forced confessions. They release those recording to create a distance between him and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He called for an investigation of the torture allegations and called for a law that limits the jurisdiction of intelligence agencies to military matters only. In April 2009, he was elected chairman of Mercantile Bank Limited. On 17 April 2009, he bail in the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission case was extended by Bangladesh High Court.

The Daily Star described his permanent replacement in 2009 as "unceremonious". He was not allowed to carry out his duties as General Secretary and Syed Ashraful Islam had all but replaced him. Jalil complained about his treatment and said the constitution of Awami League was being violated.

In September 2009, while in London, Jalil criticized Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina. In London, during an interview with Bangla TV, he said the Awami League government had come to power through "an understanding". He was criticized by Awami League for his remarks but was welcomed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He was removed from the House petition committee of the Jatiya Sangshad. He had also reported that Cabinet Ministers were maintaining close contact with Directorate General of Forces Intelligence. He was an advisory council member of Awami League. He had blamed his statements on mental trauma from being tortured.

On 16 June 2010, Jalil was discharged from the tax evasion case filed by National Board of Revenue on 15 October 2009 alleging he had dodged four hundred thousand taka income tax.

Jalil went to Singapore on 25 February 2013 for treatment. He died on 6 March 2013 in Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore.

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