Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad (born 2 December 1943) is a retired Bangladeshi civil servant and former Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh.[1]
Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad | |
|---|---|
| 11th Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh | |
| In office 9 February 2012 – 9 February 2017 | |
| President | |
| Prime Minister | Sheikh Hasina |
| Preceded by | A. T. M. Shamsul Huda |
| Succeeded by | KM Nurul Huda |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 December 1943 Chuadanga, Bengal, British India |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Alma mater | |
Early life
editA veteran freedom fighter, Ahmad was born in Chuadanga on 2 December 1943.[1]
Education
editAhmad studied chemistry at University of Dhaka and secured first class second position in the MSc examination. In 1966 he joined the chemistry department of Dhaka University as a lecturer. The next year he joined the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) as an officer.[1] Ahmad completed his MBA from Boston University, and received professional training at Harvard University. As a Research Fellow in Harvard University Centre for Population Studies, he worked on Population and Resource development. He completed Investment Negotiation Course at the Law Center of the Institute of International and Foreign Trade Law, Georgetown University, USA.[2]
Career
editDuring the Bangladesh Liberation war in 1971, Ahmad served in the Mujibnagar government as Sub Divisional Officer, Brahmanbaria and was Deputy Secretary and Zonal Administrative Officer under the First Bangladesh Government in Mujibnagar.[2] During the war he served as a zonal coordinating officer of the freedom fighters who took shelter in Agartala, India.[3] After the Independence of Bangladesh, he joined the Bangladeshi civil service.
Ahmad served as the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Cumilla district, Director General of NGO Affairs Bureau, Chairman of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh and Chairman of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation. He served as Secretary, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Secretary, Ministry of Education and Secretary to the Bangladesh Parliament (Jatiya Sangshad).[3] He retired from Government service in 2003 after 36 years of service. Ahmad was appointed the Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh on 9 February 2012.[4]
Ahmad presided over the 5 January 2014 general elections in Bangladesh, which was boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[5][6][7][8] He oversaw the 2016 countrywide Zila Parishad election.[9][10] Under Ahmad's leadership, the Election Commission (EC) launched the distribution of machine-readable smart national identity (NID) cards among 10 crore citizens, replacing the existing paper-laminated cards[11] and updated the voter list.[12]
Ahmad's term as the Chief Election Commissioner ended on 9 February 2017.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Rakib made CEC". The Daily Star. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ a b "CV of Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad" (PDF). ec.org.bd. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ a b "2 former secys fit to be CEC". The Daily Star. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ Ahmed, Hafez (9 February 2012). "Raqib Uddin new CEC". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
- ^ "Bangladesh's bitter election boycott". BBC News. 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
- ^ "There was no way but to hold Jan 5 polls: Rakibuddin". The Daily Star. 2017-02-08. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
- ^ "Adieu, KRA & Co, enough done!". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Rakibuddin claims all elections under him were fair". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad terms Zila Parishad polls fair, peaceful". Daily Sun. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Vote counting on". The Daily Star. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
- ^ "PM launches smart ID cards distribution". Dhaka Tribune. 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
- ^ "Voter list updating begins tomorrow". The Daily Star. 2015-07-24. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
- ^ "New Election Commission headed by Nurul Huda to take oath Feb 15". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 26 February 2017.