A. K. Faezul Huq

Abul Kalam Faezul Huq (A. K. Faezul Huq) (Bengali: এ. কে. ফায়জুল হক) (March 15, 1944 – July 19, 2007) was a Bangladeshi politician, lawyer, and columnist. Huq served as a member of parliament on three occasions, and held various ministerial portfolios including Public Works, Urban Development, Jute, and Textiles since the independence of Bangladesh. He was first elected member of Pakistan National Assembly (MNA) from Banaripara Upazila-Swarupkathi-Nazirpur Upazila constituency on Awami League nomination in 1970.

Biography

Born at Calcutta, Faezul was the only son of A. K. Fazlul Huq, then Prime Minister of undivided Bengal. He attended St. Gregory's High School, Dhaka Notre Dame College, and obtained his BA (Hon's) [Political Science] and MA [English] degrees from Dhaka University in 1966 and 1967 respectively. Later, Faezul completed his Law from Dhaka University, and Central Law College.

In August 1969, Faezul Huq joined the Department of Political Science at the Notre Dame College, Dhaka as a lecturer on invitation. Huq later left the teaching profession and joined full-time politics in March 1970. He was elected as one of the youngest MNA in the then Pakistan National Assembly.

Faezul was kept in confinement, along with his wife Rukhsana Huq, in July 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War, at Faisalabad former Lyallpur (then West Pakistan), and at gunpoint and threat to his wife, forced to sign on a blank piece of paper by the Pakistani occupation forces which would be later used against him for allegations of pro-the then West Pakistan statements he never made.

He, along with his wife, Rukhsana Huq, who was pregnant at the time, were released shortly afterwards.

In the later years, Faezul tried but ultimately failed to clear his name from the fabricated statements he never made in the blank piece of paper used under his forced signature, all which would be later repeatedly mentioned by his Bangladeshi political rivals slandering and controversial textbooks libelling him which would adversely affect his political career throughout his later years in life.

Thereafter, post Liberation War, he was again falsely implicated for allegedly having close ties with the then West Pakistan on the mere basis of having Pakistani relatives from his maternal side and the written statement on the aforementioned blank piece of paper he was forced to sign, and was subsequently once again picked up, only this time by the Mukti Bahini on 17 December, 1971, from the gates of 27, K. M. Das Lane, Tikatuly, Dhaka, and imprisoned until September, 1972 under the Collaborators Act, 1972.

Faezul would be later released on the basis of an appeal in the form of an application from his wife Rukhsana Huq with the assistance of Rafiqullah Chaudhury, a Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) officer and Secretary to the then Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and under the authority of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

As a result of Huq's unending ordeal from July 1971 till September 1972, he shunned away from politics till 1978, when he rejoined politics and was elected MP in 1979. He was made a member of the envoy's pool in 1980, and Director of Bangladesh Krishi Bank in 1981. He was appointed a Minister of State in charge of Public Works in early 1982, and remained in office till Martial Law was declared in March 1982. Between 1982 and 1994 he worked in the area of social work and sports. In 1994, he joined politics again, and was elected in 1996 June election. He was appointed Minister of State in charge of Ministry of Jute & Textiles. He was also an active member of the Lions Club in Bangladesh for 30 years, and had served District Governor 315 in various capacities till his death.

In his final years, Faezul Huq appeared on numerous television programs; namely, talk shows. Faezul also worked as a freelance journalist, writing for newspapers and periodicals including New Age, Holiday, Dhaka Courier, Financial Express, Prothom Alo. He was associated with a number of social and sports organizations, including Red Crescent Society, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Cancer Society, Gregorian Association, Bangladesh - China Friendship Society, Bangladesh Shooting Federation, Lions Club of Bangladesh, Dhaka Club, Anjuman Mufidul Islam and Brothers Union Club. St. Gregory's High School has started to award an A. K. Faezul Huq Scholarship since 2007.

On July 19, 2007, A. K. Faezul Huq died of heart attack at his residence in Baridhara, Dhaka. His body was buried at Banani graveyard, Dhaka on July 20, 2007. He left behind his spouse, Rukhsana Huq, and five children: A. K. Ferzul Huq (Faisal), Fersamin Huq Iqbal (Flora), Fahsina Huq (Lira), Fahmina Huq (Shyama), and barrister A. K. Fazlul Huq Jr. (Pikku).

His wife, Rukhsana Huq, passed away on Friday, 24 January 2020 in Dhaka, Bangladesh and was buried at Banani graveyard sharing the same grave of her late husband, A. K. Faezul Huq.