Sanaul Huq (23 May 1924 – 4 February 1993) was a Bangladeshi poet, translator, and civil servant.[1] He had served as the first ambassador of Bangladesh to Belgium and the European Union during 1973–1976.[2]
Sanaul Huq | |
|---|---|
সানাউল হক | |
 Huq at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels (1973) | |
| Ambassador of Bangladesh to Belgium and the European Union | |
| In office 15 May 1973 – 30 December 1976 | |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | Abul Ahsan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Al-Mamun Sanaul Huq 23 May 1924 Brahmanbaria, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 4 February 1993 (aged 68) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Motaher Hussain Chowdhury (uncle) |
| Alma mater | University of Dhaka |
Early life and education
editSanaul Huq was born in Chowra village, Brahmanbaria District to Zahurul Huq and Syeda Husaini Begum.[1] His maternal uncle Motaher Hussain Chowdhury was a poet and writer.[1] Huq matriculated in 1939 from Annada School in Brahmanbaria, completed his intermediate examinations in 1941 from Dhaka Intermediate College (now Dhaka College) and his BA Honors (economics) in 1944 and MA in 1945 from the University of Dhaka. He also earned his BL degree in 1946.[1]
Career
editHuq served as a faculty member at the department of economics at the University of Dhaka from 29 November 1946 until 30 June 1948.[1] He then joined the Pakistan Civil Service as a civil servant.[1]
After the independence of Bangladesh, he was appointed as the first ambassador of Bangladesh to Belgium by the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 May 1973.[2]
During the incident of assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka on 15 August 1975, two of his daughters, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, Hasina's husband M. A. Wazed Miah and their children were staying as guests at Huq's residence in Brussels.[3] On 12 August, they had arrived at Huq's residence from Bonn and attended a candlelight dinner on the 14th.[4] Upon hearing Rahman's death on the 15th, Huq called Humayun Rashid Choudhury, the then ambassador of Bangladesh to West Germany, and requested him to take the guests back to Germany immediately.[5] Eventually, the guests were transported from Brussels to Aachen on the Belgium–Germany border. Chowdhury then sent two cars to Aachen to bring Hasina and family to his residence in Königswinter.[3]
Huq served as the ambassador until 30 December 1976.[2]
Family
editHuq had two sons, Irtefa Mamun and Sumon Ifat Mamun, and three daughters, Tasnim Jafrullah, Trina Rubaiya Mamun and Saida Hussaini Mamun.[6] In April 2023, the District and Sessions Judge Court in Dhaka ordered investigation into the family accusing of fraud related to the sale of a property in Gulshan.[6] Huq had possessed land properties in Dhanmondi and Gulshan during the military rule of Muhammad Ayub Khan in the 1960s. The court suspected that the family had deceived the court by not revealing the identity of their father.[6]
Works
edit- Nodi O Manusher Kavita (1956)
- Sombhoba Onannya (1962)
- Surya Onyotor (1963)
- Bichurna Arshite (1968)
- Ekti Ichcha Sahasra Paley (1973)
- Kal Samakal
Awards
edit- Bangla Academy Literary Award (1964)[citation needed]
- UNESCO Award (1965)[citation needed]
- Lekhok Sangho Prize (1965)[citation needed]
- Ekushey Padak (1983)[citation needed]
- Alokto Sahitya Prize (1985)[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir, eds. (2012). "Huq, Sanaul". Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ a b c "Former ambassadors". www.bangladesh-embassy.be. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ a b Nauman Rasheed Chowdhury (15 August 2014). "August 15: Bangabandhu's daughters". The Daily Star. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ Rahman, Md Nojibur (11 July 2022). "Remembering the iconic Humayun Rasheed Choudhury". Prothomalo. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ "Those Turmoil Days of 1975". Daily Sun. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "Court orders 'fraud' investigation into family of former diplomat Sanaul Haque". bdnews24.com. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2024.