Rashed Khan Menon

Rashed Khan Menon
রাশেদ খান মেনন

Menon in 2005
Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism
Personal details
Born (1943-05-18) May 18, 1943
Faridpur, Bengal Presidency, British India
Nationality Bangladeshi
Spouse(s) Lutfunnesa Khan Beauty
Father Abdul Jabbar Khan
Relatives
Alma mater University of Dhaka
Occupation politician

Rashed Khan Menon (born 18 May 1943[1]) is a Bangladeshi politician. He is the chairman of Workers Party of Bangladesh and a member of Jatiyo Sangsad, the parliament of Bangladesh.[2] Menon is the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Education.[3] Rashed Khan Menon also currently serves as the Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism.

Early activism

Menon was born in Faridpur. Menon studied at Dhaka Collegiate School, finish in 1958. In 1960, he passed intermediate in arts group from Dhaka College. He graduated from Dhaka University in 1963 with a degree in economics. In 1964, he received his master's degree.[1]

In the late 1960s, Menon was president of the East Pakistan Students Union faction linked to the National Awami Party of Maulana Bhasani. However, Menon differed with Maulana Bhasani when the latter accepted participation in elections in January 1970. Menon's East Pakistan Student Union launched a campaign against elections, stating that they would be merely a facade of democracy, that fair elections could not be held under martial law and that the situation was ripe for revolution.[4] Menon built a revolutionary Maoist organisation along with Kazi Zafar Ahmed. The Menon-Zafar group built a base in Khulna (in Begerhat), amongst workers near Dacca and had a student group named Revolutionary Students Union.[5]

Menon contested the 1973 Bangladeshi parliamentary election as a NAP (Bhasani) candidate. He did not win any seat, and afterward he complained that the Awami League government had used unfair methods to win the election.[6]

Later political career

Rashid Khan Menon at an opposition rally in Dhaka, 2005

Menon was elected to parliament in 1979. In 1990, he played a leading role in the mass struggle that toppled the Hossain Mohammad Ershad regime. In 1991, he was again elected to parliament.[1] In 1991, Menon, as a Workers Party of Bangladesh parliamentarian, submitted four demands for constitutional amendments in the parliament. These demands and others were submitted to a 15-member constitutional review committee, in which Menon was included. After 29 meetings, the committee submitted a unanimous report to the parliament.[7]

On August 17, 1992 Menon survived a violent near-fatal attack. Unidentified assailants opened fire on the Workers Party office, injuring Menon.[8]

Family

Menon's father, Abdul Jabbar Khan, hailed from Khudrakathi village, in Babuganj Upazila, Barisal.[1] Menon is closely related to several prominent Bangladeshi personalities. His father was the speaker of the Pakistani National Assembly. His siblings include journalist and columnist Sadek Khan, Alan Khan, a photographer in Sydney, poet Abu Zafar Obaidullah, former minister Selima Rahman, journalist and ambassador to Burma A.Z.M. Enayetullah Khan and the publisher of New Age Shahidullah Khan Badal.[9]

Menon is married to Lutfunnesa Khan Beauty.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rashed Khan Menon steps into 65". New Age. Dhaka.
  2. ↑ http://www.thebangladeshtoday.com/archive/November%2009/5-11-2009.htm
  3. ↑ "Menon for edn system without discrimination". The Daily Star. BSS. 11 July 2009.
  4. ↑ Singh, Nagendra Kr. (2003). Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh (Set of 30 Vols.). Anmol Publications Pvt. Limited. pp. 19, 22, 42, 44, 168. ISBN 978-81-261-1390-3.
  5. ↑ Singh, Nagendra Kr. (2003). Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh (Set of 30 Vols.). Anmol Publications Pvt. Limited. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-81-261-1390-3.
  6. ↑ Jahan, Rounaq (February 1974). "Bangladesh in 1973: Management of Factional Politics". Asian Survey. University of California Press. 14 (2): 125–135. doi:10.2307/2643085. JSTOR 2643085.
  7. ↑ Singh, Nagendra Kr. (2003). Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh (Set of 30 Vols.). Anmol Publications Pvt. Limited. p. 52. ISBN 978-81-261-1390-3.
  8. ↑ http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidRecord=3631
  9. ↑ Halim, Anwar Parvez (19 March 2009). "All in the family". Probe News Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 April 2010.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.