Abdul Malek Ukil
Encyclopedia
Abdul Malek Ukil (October 1, 1924 – October 17, 1987) was a Bangladesh
i lawyer and politician. He was one of the founding members of East Bengal Muslim Students League and was associated with a leading political party, Awami League.
. His educational life began at Noakhali Ahmadia High Madrasa, from where he passed his Madrasa Examination with general scholarship and a Letter in Mathematics. He pursued education in Calcutta for some years. In the year 1947 he passed his IA Examination from the Magura College in Jessore District
. Two years later, in 1949, he graduated in BA from the University of Dhaka (Dhaka University). The following year, he received his MA degree and completed LL. B from the same institution. He started his professional carrier as an Advocate at Noakhali District Bar in 1952. Subsequently, in 1962 he became a member of the Dhaka High Court Bar.
Abdul Malek Ukil had faced imprisonment many a times in his political life. He was first arrested on 11 March 1948 during the Language Movement
, and was held in prison with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka Central Jail
. Later, on 22 February 1952 and in June 1954 he was arrested under the then East Bengal Public Safety Ordinance. In 1975 he was once again arrested and imprisoned by the army after the assassination of the Bangabandhu family.
In 1953 he became the President of Noakhali Sadar Mahkuma Awami League and was also elected as the President of the Noakhali district Awami League and a member of central executive committee of the party from 1962 to 64, from which, he resigned in 1972. Furthermore, Malek Ukil was elected a member of the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly in 1956, 1962 and 1965. In 1965, he was the leader of the Awami League parliamentary party and the leader of the combined opposition party in the Provincial Assembly. During the Six-Point Movement Malek Ukil was arrested and kept confined. In 1969 he was elected as one of the nine members of the Awami League Parliamentary Board, and attended the round table conference in Lahore with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Later they travelled to Karachi together. In 1970 he was elected a member of the Pakistan National Assembly from Noakhali.
In 1964 Abdul Malek Ukil carried on an election campaign for Fatema Jinnah enabling her to win majority vote against Ayub Khan in Noakhali. During 1965-66 Malek Ukil had been an elected member of the East Pakistan and Pakistan Bar Council. After the arrest of Bangabandhu in the Agartala Conspiracy Case
, he as the leader of the opposition had raised the quotable question, “The people of Bengal want to know where Sheikh Mujib is today?” to the present government, reflecting the emotions of the entire nation.
He worked both at home and abroad during the Liberation War of 1971. He was a member of the Relief and Rehabilitation Committee in the Mujibnagar Government, and a member of the parliamentary delegation sent to Nepal for mobilizing support in favor of the War Of Liberation. After the war he played a crucial role in re-establishing the independent but war affected Bangladesh.
Abdul Malek Ukil was a member of the committee for drafting the Constitution of Bangladesh
. He was a member of the cabinet of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972 in charge of ministry of Health and Family Planning. Malek Ukil was elected a member of the Jatiya Sangsad in 1973, and was the Minister in charge of Home Affairs. He was elected Speaker of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad on 28 January 1974. As the Speaker he went to Bulgaria, London, Japan, Korea and Australia on foreign visits.
On 5 March 1978 he was elected the President of Awami League. The same year he was invited by the Iraq Arab Bath Socialist Party to visit Iraq and in 1979 he attended the World Peace Seminar in Lisbon, Portugal. He also traveled to various parts of the United Kingdom and organized many political activities for Awami League.
In 1981, Sheikh Hasina
the daughter of the father of the nation, became the leader of the Awami League Council and Malek Ukil was elected the Acting President of the Council.
In 1985 with a deteriorating health condition he became a candidate of the Jatiya Sangsad and without being present in his constituency in person gained huge victory, subsequently getting elected as a member of the Parliament and the deputy leader of the opposition parliamentary party, a post he maintained till his death in 1987.
In 1979 he performed the Umrah and went on a pilgrimage to Hajj in 1983.
He had been an avid reader and collector of the autobiographies of renowned people. On 17 October 1987 the great politician and an excellent human being breathed for the last time in Dhaka Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital at the age of only 63, leaving his wife, two sons and five daughters behind.
His family is now living in Bangladesh.
List of immediate family members:
Wife: Mrs. Sabura Khatun
Sons:
Gulam Mohiuddin Latu, who has three sons, Mehedi Malek Sajib, Tanzil Malek and Fahad Malek.
Baharuddin Khelon, who has two daughters and one son, Faiha Bahar, Nabiha Bahar and Ryan Bahar Malek.
Daughters:
Fatema Begum (Ruby),
Amena Begum (Baby),
Nurun Nahar (Lily),
Nurunnesa (Maya),
Lima Malek
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i lawyer and politician. He was one of the founding members of East Bengal Muslim Students League and was associated with a leading political party, Awami League.
Early life
Abdul Malek Ukil was born in Rajapur village of Noakhali DistrictNoakhali District
Noakhali is a district in South-eastern Bangladesh. It is located in the Chittagong Division.-Geography:Noakhali District located in Chittagong Division, Bangladesh...
. His educational life began at Noakhali Ahmadia High Madrasa, from where he passed his Madrasa Examination with general scholarship and a Letter in Mathematics. He pursued education in Calcutta for some years. In the year 1947 he passed his IA Examination from the Magura College in Jessore District
Jessore District
Jessore is a district located in the Khulna Division of southwestern Bangladesh. It is bordered by India to the west.The district produces a variety of crops year-round. Date-sugar called patali is made from the sap of locally grown date trees that is cooked, thickened and crystallised using a...
. Two years later, in 1949, he graduated in BA from the University of Dhaka (Dhaka University). The following year, he received his MA degree and completed LL. B from the same institution. He started his professional carrier as an Advocate at Noakhali District Bar in 1952. Subsequently, in 1962 he became a member of the Dhaka High Court Bar.
Political career
He had been associated with politics from his student life. As a student he became one of the founding members of the East Bengal Muslim Students League. He played an active role in the movement of independence of the Indian sub continent. In 1946, he had devoted himself in the campaign for Pakistan in Bengal, Bihar and Asam.Abdul Malek Ukil had faced imprisonment many a times in his political life. He was first arrested on 11 March 1948 during the Language Movement
Language Movement
The Bengali Language Movement, also known as the Language Movement , was a political effort in Bangladesh , advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as an official language of Pakistan...
, and was held in prison with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka Central Jail
Dhaka Central Jail
Dhaka Central Jail is the largest jail in Bangladesh, located in the old section of Dhaka, the country's capital. The jail has been used to house criminals as well as political prisoners, especially during the Language Movement of 1952, the 6 Point Movement, and the Bangladesh Liberation War....
. Later, on 22 February 1952 and in June 1954 he was arrested under the then East Bengal Public Safety Ordinance. In 1975 he was once again arrested and imprisoned by the army after the assassination of the Bangabandhu family.
In 1953 he became the President of Noakhali Sadar Mahkuma Awami League and was also elected as the President of the Noakhali district Awami League and a member of central executive committee of the party from 1962 to 64, from which, he resigned in 1972. Furthermore, Malek Ukil was elected a member of the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly in 1956, 1962 and 1965. In 1965, he was the leader of the Awami League parliamentary party and the leader of the combined opposition party in the Provincial Assembly. During the Six-Point Movement Malek Ukil was arrested and kept confined. In 1969 he was elected as one of the nine members of the Awami League Parliamentary Board, and attended the round table conference in Lahore with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Later they travelled to Karachi together. In 1970 he was elected a member of the Pakistan National Assembly from Noakhali.
In 1964 Abdul Malek Ukil carried on an election campaign for Fatema Jinnah enabling her to win majority vote against Ayub Khan in Noakhali. During 1965-66 Malek Ukil had been an elected member of the East Pakistan and Pakistan Bar Council. After the arrest of Bangabandhu in the Agartala Conspiracy Case
Agartala Conspiracy Case
Agartala Conspiracy Case was a sedition case in Pakistan, brought forward by the Government of Pakistan against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, leader of the Awami League and East Pakistan, and 34 other persons.-The Case:...
, he as the leader of the opposition had raised the quotable question, “The people of Bengal want to know where Sheikh Mujib is today?” to the present government, reflecting the emotions of the entire nation.
He worked both at home and abroad during the Liberation War of 1971. He was a member of the Relief and Rehabilitation Committee in the Mujibnagar Government, and a member of the parliamentary delegation sent to Nepal for mobilizing support in favor of the War Of Liberation. After the war he played a crucial role in re-establishing the independent but war affected Bangladesh.
Abdul Malek Ukil was a member of the committee for drafting the Constitution of Bangladesh
Constitution of Bangladesh
The Constitution of Bangladesh is the supreme law of Bangladesh. It declares Bangladesh as a secular democratic republic where sovereignty belongs to the people; and lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles of the state and spells out the fundamental rights of citizens...
. He was a member of the cabinet of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972 in charge of ministry of Health and Family Planning. Malek Ukil was elected a member of the Jatiya Sangsad in 1973, and was the Minister in charge of Home Affairs. He was elected Speaker of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad on 28 January 1974. As the Speaker he went to Bulgaria, London, Japan, Korea and Australia on foreign visits.
On 5 March 1978 he was elected the President of Awami League. The same year he was invited by the Iraq Arab Bath Socialist Party to visit Iraq and in 1979 he attended the World Peace Seminar in Lisbon, Portugal. He also traveled to various parts of the United Kingdom and organized many political activities for Awami League.
In 1981, Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear...
the daughter of the father of the nation, became the leader of the Awami League Council and Malek Ukil was elected the Acting President of the Council.
In 1985 with a deteriorating health condition he became a candidate of the Jatiya Sangsad and without being present in his constituency in person gained huge victory, subsequently getting elected as a member of the Parliament and the deputy leader of the opposition parliamentary party, a post he maintained till his death in 1987.
Personal Life
Abdul Malek Ukil was associated with various social and cultural institutions as well. He had been the Secretary of the then Art Council of Pakistan, and the Public Library of the Noakhali District. He also made immense contribution to the society as the founder of the Noakhali College, Maijdi Girls High School, Maijdi Ideal High School and Badher Haat Abdul Malek College.In 1979 he performed the Umrah and went on a pilgrimage to Hajj in 1983.
He had been an avid reader and collector of the autobiographies of renowned people. On 17 October 1987 the great politician and an excellent human being breathed for the last time in Dhaka Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital at the age of only 63, leaving his wife, two sons and five daughters behind.
His family is now living in Bangladesh.
List of immediate family members:
Wife: Mrs. Sabura Khatun
Sons:
Gulam Mohiuddin Latu, who has three sons, Mehedi Malek Sajib, Tanzil Malek and Fahad Malek.
Baharuddin Khelon, who has two daughters and one son, Faiha Bahar, Nabiha Bahar and Ryan Bahar Malek.
Daughters:
Fatema Begum (Ruby),
Amena Begum (Baby),
Nurun Nahar (Lily),
Nurunnesa (Maya),
Lima Malek