Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar

Summary

Muhammad Jamiruddin Sarkar (born 1 December 1931) is a Bangladeshi lawyer and politician who served as the acting President of Bangladesh in 2002. He served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh.[3] He is one of the founding members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and was a member of the standing committee, which was the policy making body of the party, from its inception.

Barrister
Muhammad Jamir Uddin Sarkar
মুহাম্মদ জমির উদ্দিন সরকার
Sarkar in 2023
President of Bangladesh (acting)
In office
21 June 2002 – 6 September 2002
Prime MinisterKhaleda Zia
Preceded byA. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury
Succeeded byIajuddin Ahmed
10th Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad[1]
In office
28 October 2001 – 25 January 2009
DeputyAkhtar Hameed Siddiqui
Preceded byMohammad Abdul Hamid
Succeeded byMohammad Abdul Hamid
Minister of Law and Justice
In office
19 March 1996[2] – 30 March 1996
Prime MinisterKhaleda Zia
Preceded byMirza Golam Hafiz
Succeeded bySyed Ishtiaq Ahmed
Minister of Education
In office
19 September 1991 – 19 March 1996
Prime MinisterKhaleda Zia
Preceded byA. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury
Succeeded byASHK Sadek
Member of the Bangladesh Parliament
for Panchagarh-1
In office
14 July 1996 – 27 October 2006
Preceded byMirza Ghulam Hafiz
Succeeded byMazharul Haque Prodhan
Personal details
Born (1931-12-01) 1 December 1931 (age 92)
Tetulia, Bengal, British India (now Panchagarh Rangpur Division, Bangladesh)
Political partyBangladesh Nationalist Party
Spouse
Nur Akhtar
(died 2023)
Alma materUniversity of Dhaka

Early life edit

Sircar was born to Moulvi Ali Baksh and Begum Fakhrunnessa in Panchagarh in north Bengal.[4] He obtained his M.A and LL.B degrees from the University of Dhaka and joined the bar to practice law in 1960. He left for London in 1961 for the degree of Barrister-at-Law and was admitted and called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, to practice law as a member of the English Bar as well as Commonwealth Countries Bar.

Career edit

Sircar went on the Supreme Court of Bangladesh to work as a Lawyer in constitutional, civil and criminal laws. In 1977, he was selected by the then President Ziaur Rahman as a member of the Bangladesh Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly. As a delegate he looked after the Legal Committee and continued in this role for the next four years between 1977 and 1980. In 1981, as a State Minister of Bangladesh Government for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he travelled to the UN to make deliberation on Middle East peace process and disarmament. He later attended the Non-aligned Movement's Labor Ministers Conference in Baghdad. He was elected to the Parliament as a candidate of Bangladesh Nationalist Party from Panchagarh-1 in the General Election of 1996 & 2001 and from Dhaka-9 in the by-election of 1991 in the seat of Begum Khaleda Zia.[5][6] He lost the election in the December 2008.[7] He was elected in Parliament in a by-election from Bogra-6 on 3 April 2009. Bogra-6 was vacated, along with Bogra-7, by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.[8]

From 28 October 2001 to 25 January 2009, Sircar served as the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.[9] On 21 June 2002, he became acting president because of the resignation of A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury. He remained acting president until a new president was elected on 6 September 2002. As speaker he refused to allow discussion on the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack in Parliament.[10] He faced criticism for being partisan in allocating seats in the parliament.[11] In 2008, his defence of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and call for it return to power drew criticism. The Daily Star wrote that the speaker should be above political fray.[12]

On 13 April 2009, an Awami League led parliamentary probe body reported that Sircar took 2.7 million taka unlawfully as medical bill without the permission of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia during his tenure as speaker of the parliament.[13] On 8 November 2012, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed charges against him, alleging he misappropriating 3.3 million taka.[14] Sircar moved the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and the proceedings were stayed and thereafter the Appellate Division passed an order to dispose off Sircar's judicial review applications before the High Court Division [15] In March 2023, he deposited Tk 2.8 million (27.86 lakh) to the state exchequer following a court judgment in the graft case.[16]

In 2018, he worked as the defense lawyer of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.[17]

Personal life edit

Sircar was married to Nur Akhtar (c. 1940–2023).[18][19] Together they have a daughter, Nilufar Jamir and two sons, Nawshad Zamir and Naufal Zamir.[4]

Bibliography edit

  • Glimpses of International Law (1997);
  • The Law of the Sea (2003);
  • Stronger United Nations for Peaceful Welfare World (2003);
  • London-er Chatro Andolon Bangla (2005);
  • London-e Bondhu Bandhob Bangla (2006);
  • Oshtom Shongshoder Speaker Bangla (2006);
  • Pal Raj theke Plolashi ebong British Raj theke Bongo Bhobon Bangla (2006).
  • Law of the International Rivers and others Water Courses (2007);
  • Pakistan-er Gonotontrer Biporjoy ebong Shadhin Bangladesh-er Obbhuddoy Bangla (2008)[20]

References edit

  1. ^ "Former Presidents". Bangabhaban. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  2. ^ "Honorable Minister". Law and Justice Division. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Parliament To Probe Sircar". Bangladesh News. 17 March 2009. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Biography of Barrister Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar". Jamiruddin Sircar. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  5. ^ "List of 5th Parliament Members". Bangladesh Parliament (in Bengali).
  6. ^ "Parliament Election Result of 1991,1996,2001 Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics". Vote Monitor Networks. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Strip Sircar of MP status". The Daily Star. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Sircar, Moudud win by-polls". The Daily Star. 3 April 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  9. ^ "All-party body to probe Sircar graft". The Daily Star. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Farewell Mr. Sircar". The Daily Star. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  11. ^ "Let there be rule of law". The Daily Star. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Speaker ought to be above the fray". The Daily Star. 15 October 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  13. ^ "Sircar drew Tk 28 lakh illegally, finds JS probe". The Daily Star. 13 April 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Sircar charged". The Daily Star. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  15. ^ "SC asks HC to dispose of defence petitions". The Daily Star. 29 May 2014.
  16. ^ "Jamiruddin Sircar deposits Tk 2.8m to govt treasury in graft case". Prothomalo. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  17. ^ "'ACC totally fails to prove graft allegations against Khaleda'". The Daily Star. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  18. ^ "ব্যারিস্টার জমির উদ্দিনের স্ত্রী আর নেই, বিএনপির শোক". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 2 May 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar's wife Begum Nur Akhter passes away". Daily Sun. May 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Publications". public.jamiruddin.com.