Abul Hasanat Abdullah
Abul Hasanat Abdullah | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 10, 1944 Sheral, Agailjhara, Backergunge District, Bengal Presidency |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Known for | Member of Jatiya Sangsad for Barisal-1; Executive Committee Member of Bangladesh Awami League Central Committee |
Abul Hasanat Abdullah (born 10 December 1944) is a politician affiliated with the Bangladesh Awami League and has served as a member of the Jatiya Sangsad representing the Barisal-1 constituency for five consecutive terms. He holds a position as an Executive Committee Member within the Bangladesh Awami League Central Committee.
Background
Abdullah hails from the Bengali Muslim Serniabat lineage based in Sheral, Agailjhara, within the Backergunge District of the former Bengal Presidency. His ancestry traces back to Emperor Sher Shah Suri. His father, Abdur Rab Serniabat, was a minister during the second, third, and fourth Mujib administrations. Abdullah's mother, Sheikh Amena Begum, was part of the Sheikh family of Tungipara and was the sister of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
At the time of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s assassination, Abdullah suffered the loss of his father, siblings, cousin, and son; his mother, wife, and other siblings sustained injuries. His younger sibling, Abul Khair Abdullah, is also engaged in political activities.
Career
In 1973, Hasanat was elected as Upazila Chairman in Barisal.
Following the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état, his father Abdur Rab Serniabat along with other relatives were killed. Subsequently, Hasanat and his family went into exile abroad. The succeeding government declared his property as vested land, which was restored to him in 2001. Nonetheless, portions of this land were disputed and repurposed as a Bangladesh Nationalist Party office.
Hasanat secured his first parliamentary seat from Barisal-1 in 1991. By January 2000, he became a member of the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs and held the position of chief whip in parliament during the Awami League administration from 1996 until 2001.
In October 2002, amid Operation Clean Heart, security forces conducted a raid on Abdullah’s residence in Barisal uncovering firearms, cash, gold items, and blank certificates designated for freedom fighters.
He has also served as general secretary for the Barisal District unit of the Bangladesh Awami League. In November 2007, a court order resulted in attachment of properties at his residence in Dhanmondi.
Despite resistance from local party activists who preferred alternative candidates, Hasanat received nominations from Awami League for both Barisal-1 and Barisal-2 constituencies in 2008.
On 11 June 2009, under the Awami League government’s directive, 62 legal cases against its politicians were withdrawn, including four cases involving Hasanat.
In March 2014, allegations surfaced accusing him of facilitating electoral fraud to ensure Golam Mortuja Khan’s success in an Upazila Chairman election.
Hasanat was subsequently elected to the Jatiya Sangsad from Barisal-1 in 2014, 2018, and again in 2024. On 18 January 2018, he was appointed convener of the National Committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts with status equivalent to a minister.
Personal life
Hasanat’s son, Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, assumed office as mayor of Barisal in July 2018. Another son, Moin Abdullah, faced arrest in October 2024.