Rahman, Lt. Colonel ASM Mustafizur

Rahman, Lt. Colonel ASM Mustafizur (1934-1996) army officer, politician. His full name is Abu Saleh Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman. He was born on 8 January 1934 at village Ranabijoypur in Bagerhat district. His Father Khan Bahadur Bazlur Rahman was a custom commissioner. Mostafizur Rahman started his school life in St. Xavier's School, Kolkata. Then he took admission in St. Gregory's School, Dhaka. He passed Matriculation examination in 1951, and then got himself admitted into ISc class in Dhaka College.

In 1952 he joined the army as a cadet and was commissioned on 13 March 1955. While in the Pakistan Military Academy, Rahman was graduated from Peshawar University. After getting commission in the army he joined the Fifth Baluch Regiment. For his technical proficiency he was selected as an artillery officer in 1956. He worked as general staff officer in the inter service detective branch. In 1966 he obtained PSC degree from the Command and Staff College in Queta. After the liberation of Bangladesh he was promoted to the post of Lt. Colonel in 1973 and retired from Bangladesh army.

Mustafizur Rahman joined politics after his retirement from the army. In December 1977, he was appointed as Deputy Adviser by President Ziaur Rahman and was vested with the responsibility of the Ministry of Home. In the following year he was included in the cabinet of Ziaur Rahman in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was elected a member of the Jatiya Sangsad from Bagerhat-2 constituency in 1979 as a nominee of bangladesh nationalist party (BNP). He had been the Home Minister in the cabinet of Ziaur Rahman till 27 November 1981. In the cabinet of Abdus Sattar he was the commerce minister. He was a member of the Standing Committee of BNP and was elected as general secretary of the Party in 1985. Mustafizur Rahman was elected a member of the Jatiya Sangsad in 1991 and was included in the cabinet as Foreign Minister.

Mustafizur Rahman was associated with various organisations. He was the secretary and later president of Gulshan Rotary Club, chairman of National Sports Control Board, president of Cricket Control Board. Besides, he was the chairman of Mohamedan Sporting Club and Brothers Union Club. In 1993 he was awarded the Gawanghwa Medal of the Koreon government for his contribution in diplomatic field. He died on 30 November 1996. [Abu Md. Delwar Hossain