Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar

Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar (born 1 December 1931) is a Bangladeshi barrister 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.

Early life

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.

Political career

Sircar went on to work as a barrister at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in constitutional, civil and criminal laws. In 1977, he was selected by 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 Minister of State for 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 Parliament from Panchagarh-1 as a Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate in 1996 and 2001.^[5] He lost the election in the December 2008.^[6] 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.^[7]

From 28 October 2001 to 25 January 2009, he served as the speaker of the parliament.^[8] 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.^[9] He faced criticism for being partisan in allocating seats in the parliament.^[10] In 2008, he 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.^[11] On 13 April 2009, a all party 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.^[12] On 8 November 2012, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed charges against him, alleging he misappropriating 3.3 million taka.^[13]

In 2018, he worked as the defence lawyer of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.^[14]

Personal life

Sircar is married to Nur Akhtar. Together they have a daughter, Nilufar Jamir and two sons, Nawshad Zamir and Naufal Zamir.^[4]

Bibliography

• 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)^[15]

References