Mirza Abdul Jalil
Mirza Abdul Jalil | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 19, 1937 Joynagar, Bera, Pabna District, Bangladesh |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, politician |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Known for | Chairman of Bangladesh Krishi Bank, head of Bangladesh Privatisation Commission, recipient of Ekushey Padak |
Mirza Abdul Jalil (born 19 March 1937) is a prominent Bangladeshi economist and a political figure affiliated with the Awami League.
Early life and family
Jalil was born in Joynagar, Bera, located within the Pabna District, into a Bengali Muslim family known for its political involvement. His siblings Mirza Abdul Halim and Mirza Abdul Awal served as parliament members representing the BNP, while retired army major Manzur Quader is his nephew. In 1962, he secured the position of joint secretary of the All Pakistan Students Union.
Career
Starting his professional journey in 1986, Jalil worked at the Department of Livestock before retiring from government employment in 1994. Between 1996 and 2001, he held the chairmanship of Bangladesh Krishi Bank. During the 2001 parliamentary elections, he was the Awami League candidate for Pabna-2 but was defeated by BNP’s AKM Salim Reza Habib.
On 22 December 2006, Jalil led a demonstration organized by the Awami League in Dhaka calling for impartial elections. The protest resulted in confrontations with law enforcement and his subsequent arrest under the Speedy Trial Act. He has also held the role of secretary within the Ministry of Science and Technology, focusing on agricultural matters, and served as president of Bangladesh Krishak League, the farmers’ faction of the Awami League.
In 2008, Jalil sought to secure nomination for Pabna-2 once more but was unsuccessful against A. K. Khandker. As a member of the Awami League advisory council, he was appointed head of the Bangladesh Privatisation Commission in 2009. He promoted privatization as a strategy to rescue state-owned enterprises and emphasized the need for a robust South Asian coalition to combat climate change during 2011. The Privatisation Commission was later integrated into the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority in 2016.
Jalil pursued Awami League nomination for Pabna in the general election of 2018. In recognition of his contributions to economics, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2021.