Mohammad A. Arafat (born 2 May 1973)[2] is a Bangladeshi academic, politician, parliamentarian and a former minister of state for information and broadcasting.
Mohammad A. Arafat | |
|---|---|
মোহাম্মদ এ. আরাফাত | |
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting | |
| In office 11 January 2024 – 5 August 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Sheikh Hasina |
| Preceded by | Murad Hasan |
| Succeeded by | Nahid Islam |
| Member of the Bangladesh Parliament for Dhaka-17 | |
| In office 17 July 2023 – 6 August 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 May 1973 Rajshahi, Bangladesh |
| Political party | Bangladesh Awami League |
| Spouses |
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| Alma mater | [1] |
| Occupation |
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Career
editArafat was born on 2 May 1973 to Habibun Nisa and Mohammad Setab Uddin.[3]
The Rajshahi-born Arafat is a syndicate member and chief advisor to the board of trustees of the Canadian University of Bangladesh.[4][5][6] He is the founder of Suchinta Foundation.[7] He endorsed Annisul Huq for the North Dhaka Mayor election.[8]
Arafat has called for stronger ties with India and allowing transshipment of goods.[9] He wrote positively about Harsh Vardhan Shringla visit to Bangladesh and described it as "promising".[10]
Arafat falsely accused Reza Kibria, son of former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria, a traitor for complaining about the human rights situation in Bangladesh to the United States.[11] He criticized the United States for placing sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion and described Gano Adhikar Parishad as a none threat to the Awami League government.[11]
Arafat was made a member of the Central Working Committee of the Awami League in December 2022.[12] In September 2022, the government of Bangladesh dismantled the existing trustee board of Manarat International University alleging it had links with Islamist militants and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.[13] Mayor of North Dhaka and Awami League politician, Atiqul Islam, was appointed chairman and Arafat was appointed a member of the newly created trustee board.[14]
Arafat is also the chairman of the Dhaka-based not-for-profit social-advocacy organisation, the Suchinta Foundation.[15][16] The foundation has, among others, done extensive advocacy work in poverty eradication in Bangladesh through entrepreneurship development.
The aftermath of 2024 non-cooperation movement, the 12th Jatiya Sangsad was dissolved on 6 August 2024; Arafat lost both his membership at the Jatiya Sangsad and the ministerial position. On 12 August, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) ordered all banks to freeze the accounts of Arafat and his wife, Sharmin Mustary.[17]
Personal life
editArafat married Shomi Kaiser, actress and daughter of Shahidullah Kaiser and Panna Kaiser, on 24 July 2008.[18][19] They divorced in 2015.[20][21] Arafat later married Sharmin Mustary.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Profile - Mohammad A. Arafat". tritiyomatra.com.
- ^ "M Arafat: From a teacher to state minister". Dhaka Tribune. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Honorable State Minister". moi.gov.bd. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "Chairperson". Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "Introducing Canadian University of Bangladesh". Canadian University of Bangladesh. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ Masum, Obaidur. "Canadian University gets Rajuk's Purbachal plot 'in breach of rules'". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ miqbal (12 September 2022). "The international community must see the Bangladesh of 2022". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "The better candidate". Dhaka Tribune. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ Sharma, Sumit (17 August 2020). "India bids to head off China in Bangladesh". Asia Times. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "OP-ED: With a little help from our friends". Dhaka Tribune. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Complainant to foreigners, is a traitor Reza Kibria is inexperienced in politics". Barta24. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "AL announces full-fledged central committee". Risingbd.com. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ Rahaman, Arafat (9 September 2022). "Manarat University: Govt reconstitutes trustee board over 'militancy links'". The Daily Star. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ Rahaman, Arafat (8 September 2022). "Atiqul Islam made chairman of Manarat Int'l University Board of Trustees". The Daily Star. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "Bangladesh-India ties are not a zero-sum game". The Daily Star.
- ^ "'We see no challenges as the stars are aligned in favour of the Awami League'". Dhaka Tribune.
- ^ a b "Banks asked to freeze accounts of Arafat, his wife". The Daily Star. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ জন্মদিন : শমী কায়সার :: দৈনিক ইত্তেফাক [Birthday: Shami Kaiser]. The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ "Shomi and Panna Kaiser on "Eki Brintey" tonight". The Daily Star. 19 November 2009.
- ^ "A new chapter begins for Shomi Kaiser". The Daily Star. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "Shomi Kaiser ties the knot with Reza Ameen". New Age. Retrieved 3 January 2023.