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Bangladeshi academic and political intellectual From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[1]Mohammad A. Arafat (born 2 May 1973)[2] is a Bangladeshi academic and politician. He is a former minister of state for information and broadcasting and a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Dhaka-17 constituency in 2023–2024.
Mohammad A. Arafat | |
|---|---|
মোহাম্মদ এ. আরাফাত | |
Arafat in 2023 | |
| Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting | |
| In office 11 January 2024 – 5 August 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Sheikh Hasina |
| Preceded by | Murad Hasan |
| Succeeded by | Nahid Islam |
| Member of the Bangladesh Parliament for Dhaka-17 | |
| Preceded by | Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 May 1973 Rajshahi, Bangladesh |
| Political party | Awami League |
| Spouses |
|
| Alma mater | Oklahoma State University Prairie View A&M University |
Mohammad Ali Arafat was born on 2 May 1973 to Habibun Nisa and Mohammad Setab Uddin in Rajshahi.[3][4]
Mohammad is a syndicate member and chief advisor to the board of trustees of the Canadian University of Bangladesh.[4][5][6] He is the founder of Suchinta Foundation.[7] He endorsed Annisul Huq for the North Dhaka mayoral election.[8]
Mohammad has called for stronger ties with India and allowing transshipment of goods.[9]
Arafat called Reza Kibria, a son of former finance minister Shah A M S Kibria, a traitor for complaining about the human rights situation in Bangladesh to the United States.[10] He criticized the United States for placing sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion and described Gano Adhikar Parishad as a none threat to the Awami League government.[10]
Mohammad was made a member of the Central Working Committee of the Awami League in December 2022.[11] In September 2022, the government of Bangladesh dismantled the existing trustee board of Manarat International University alleging it had links with Islamist militants and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.[12] Mayor of North Dhaka and Awami League politician Atiqul Islam was appointed chairman and Arafat was appointed a member of the newly created trustee board.[13]
Mohammad is the chairman of the Dhaka-based nonprofit social-advocacy organisation, the Suchinta Foundation.[14][15] The foundation has, among others, done extensive advocacy work in poverty eradication in Bangladesh through entrepreneurship development.
Mohammad is a two-time member of the Jatiya Sangsad, elected from the Dhaka-17 constituency as an Awami League nominee in the 11th and 12th parliaments respectively in the space of 5 months and both times without any competition from major opposition parties.[16][17] He is also a member of the Awami League's central working committee.[18]
During the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement, Mohammad accused the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami of carrying out attacks to disrupt development efforts in Bangladesh and described some of the participants as "drugged".[19] Following the 2024 non-cooperation movement, the 12th Jatiya Sangsad was dissolved on 6 August 2024; Mohammad lost both his membership in the Jatiya Sangsad and his ministerial position. On 12 August, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) ordered all banks to freeze the accounts of Mohammad and his wife, Sharmin Mustary.[20]
Arafat faced significant criticism for his support of the Awami League government during the repression of student protests in the 2024 quota reform movement. He was part of a group of pro-government artists, including Arafat, who actively opposed the student movement in a WhatsApp group called 'Alo Ashbei,' which was led by actor Ferdous Ahmed. Following the non-cooperation movement, screenshots from this WhatsApp group were leaked on social media on September 3, 2024, revealing discussions that included inflammatory remarks against the protesters.[21][22]
Several cases for crimes against humanity, including murder charges, were filed against Arafat related to his actions during the student protests.[23] He has been named in several murder cases connected to the deaths of individuals during the protests, notably in the case concerning the death of Jagannath University student Ikramul Haque Sajid, who was shot during a protest in Dhaka's Mirpur-10 area.[24]
Following the protests, Arafat reportedly went into hiding. On August 20, 2024, a case was filed against him in connection with the death of a vegetable seller during the protests, and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) subsequently requested banks to freeze Arafat's accounts amid ongoing investigations into his activities.[25] There have also been allegations that Arafat was attempting to flee the country to avoid arrest, with claims that certain members of the police were assisting him in this endeavor.[26][27] Despite media reports of his arrest on August 27, 2024, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police later clarified that they had no information confirming his apprehension.[28]
In light of the attacks on state facilities during the protests, there were demands for law enforcement agencies and the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Arafat's involvement, both in his capacity as a state minister and as a member of parliament representing his constituency.[29][30]
Mohammad A Arafat married Shomi Kaiser, actress and daughter of Shahidullah Kaiser and Panna Kaiser, on 24 July 2008.[31][32] They divorced in 2015.[33][34] Mohammad later married Sharmin Mustary.[20]
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