A. K. M. Bahauddin Bahar (born 28 February 1954) is a Bangladeshi politician from Awami League and a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Comilla-6 constituency. His original name is Abul khayer muhammad bahauddin bahar

A. K. M. Bahauddin Bahar
আ ক ম বাহাউদ্দিন বাহার
Member of Parliament
In office
25 January 2009 – 5 August 2024
Preceded byRedwan Ahmed
Succeeded byVacant
ConstituencyComilla-6
Personal details
Born (1954-02-28) 28 February 1954 (age 70)
Comilla, East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan
NationalityBangladeshi
Political partyBangladesh Awami League
ChildrenTahseen Bahar Shuchona

Early life

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Bahauddin was born on 28 February 1954. He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree.[1]

Career

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Bahauddin was elected to Parliament in 2008 from Comilla-6 as a candidate of Awami League. He had received 126 thousand votes while his nearest competitor, Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid Yeasin of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, received 102 thousand votes.[2] He served in the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Social Welfare.[3]

Bahauddin was elected to parliament from Comilla-6 in 2014 as a candidate of Awami League.[4] He had received 59 thousand votes while his nearest competitor, Director-FBCCI Masud Parvez Khan Imran who stood as an Independent candidate received 38 thousand votes.[2] The general election was boycotted by all major parties and Awami League had won majority of the seats uncontested.[5]

On 15 October 2014, Bahauddin sued three staff members of Independent TV and its owner Salman F Rahman. He filed a case over a report on 29 September 2014 titled Several ministers, MPs patrons of BNP-Jamaat misdeeds.[6][7]

On 10 May 2015, supports of Bahauddin and Mujibul Haque Mujib clashed in the Comilla Town hall resulting in the death of one activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League.[8]

Members of the Awami League secretariat called for official action against Bahauddin over his role in the Comilla City Corporation poll in April 2017.[9] He had refused to work for the Awami League candidate of mayor, Anjum Sultana Sima, as he was a rival of her father, Afzal Khan. Monirul Haque Sakku, candidate of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, defeated Anjum Sultana Sima in the election as a result of Awami League's internal conflicts.[10]

Bahauddin served in the parliamentary standing committee on commerce. The committee recommended that the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh should select dealers through the recommendation of Members of Parliament. Bahauddin stated that dealers who were appointed on the recommendation of Members of Parliament that "acted properly".[11]

Bahauddin was re-elected to Parliament from Comilla-6 in 2018 as a candidate of Awami League in a landslide. He had received 296 thousand votes while is closest rival, Md Aminur Rashid of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, had received 18 thousand votes.[12]

AKM Bahauddin Bahar, the Awami League candidate, won the Cumilla-6 seat in the 2024 National Election with 132,210 votes, defeating his closest competitor, Anjum Sultana Seema, who represented the Eagle symbol.[13]

Bahauddin request Comilla District administration to demolish Birchandra Ganapathagar (also known as Cumilla Town Hall) and replace it with a modern structure. The Daily Star was critical of the decision and described the 135 year old town hall as "historic".[14] He is an advisor to the town hall. Following protests of the decision the Ministry of Cultural Affairs called for a mass hearing to decide the fate of the town hall.[15] Anjum Sultana Sima, Member of Parliament from reserved seat, blamed Bahauddin for instigating the demolition of the town hall.[16] His supporters crowded the mass hearing and left no room for citizens to participate on 20 December 2020.[17]

Bahauddin threatened the deputy director of Department of Environment in Comilla District, Shawkat Ara Kol, after she had inspected a site of Roads and Highway Department for environmental impact. She had also issued notices to contractors of the Roads and Highway Department.[18][19][20]

In 2023, During the celebration of minority community he made a derogatory statements about a Hindu festival and even attacking Hindus, he calls ‘Durga-puja’ as an ‘Alcohol Festival’. [21] Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council organised protests against Bahauddin Bahar’s comments that reportedly hurt Hindu sentiments. His supporters attack those minority group in Cumilla. [22]

References

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  1. ^ "A.K.M. Bahauddin Biography". Amarmp. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Electoral Area Result Statistics". Amarmp. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Probe NGOs' patronage of militancy". The Daily Star. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  4. ^ "A.K.M. Bahauddin History". Amarmp. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Bangladesh's 10th general election ends in chaos". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  6. ^ "AL MP sues Salman F Rahman, 3 other Independent TV staff". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Independent TV chairman, 3 others sued". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  8. ^ "BCL leader killed in Comilla infighting". The Daily Star. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Comilla Polls Defeat: AL secys want action against ministers, MP". The Daily Star. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Comilla Mayoral Polls: AL's defeat 'caused by infighting'". The Daily Star. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Select TCB dealers as per MPs' advice". The Daily Star. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Get 11th Bangladesh National Election 2018 Results". The Daily Star. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Independents secure 4 seats in Cumilla, 7 go to AL". The Business Standard. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  14. ^ "A witness of history facing demolition". The Daily Star. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Hearing on acquisition of Cumilla Town Hall today". The Daily Star. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  16. ^ "'I will go to court to save town hall'". The Daily Star. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Cumilla Town Hall's Heritage Site Status: Public hearing or political gathering?". The Daily Star. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Cumilla MP threatens DoE official for action against hill-cutting". The Daily Star. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  19. ^ "Comilla MP threatens DoE official over hill-cutting report". Dhaka Tribune. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  20. ^ "MP Bahar threatens DoE official for report against hill-cutting". The Independent. Dhaka. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  21. ^ "The ruling party MP Bahauddin Bahar from Bangladesh calls 'Durga-puja' as an 'Alcohol Festival'". Sanatanprobat. Dhaka. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  22. ^ "Awami League MP Bahar's supporters attack minority group in Cumilla". Bdnews24. Dhaka. Retrieved 11 October 2023.