From teaching to politics, Mirza Fakhrul set to become President

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir entered into politics during his student days at the University of Dhaka. He was also jailed for political reasons during the 1969 mass uprising. After independence, he began his professional career as a teacher. He later left teaching to enter politics. Over his long political career, he has served as president of the district BNP, senior joint secretary general, acting secretary general and secretary general of the party. During this time, he rose from municipal chairman to state minister and minister. Now, he is set to become the country’s 23rd president.

The BNP has nominated Mirza Fakhrul for the presidency. As the party has an absolute majority in Parliament, it is almost certain that he will become president. He has already resigned as the party’s secretary general and as a member of its National Standing Committee. If everything goes as planned, he will be elected on 20 August and move to Bangabhaban, the presidential residence.

Professor Manotosh Kumar Dey, a veteran educator from Thakurgaon and a friend of Mirza Fakhrul, expressed his delight at his friend’s nomination.

“My friend will hold the office of president. That is a matter of pride not only for me but also for the people of the country. However, it is painful to think that we, the people of Thakurgaon, will be deprived of his proximity. The development initiatives that have been created in the area under his leadership could lose momentum, and that would be a matter of concern for us,” Manotosh said.

Born on 26 January, 1948, Mirza Fakhrul grew up in the Kalibari area of Thakurgaon town. His father was Mirza Ruhul Amin and his mother was Mirza Fatema Amin. Mirza Ruhul Amin was elected a member of Parliament from Thakurgaon several times and later served as a minister in the Ershad government. After completing his secondary education at Thakurgaon Government Boys’ High School and higher secondary education at Dhaka College, Mirza Fakhrul earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Dhaka.

Mirza Fakhrul entered politics during his student life. He was a member of the then East Pakistan Chhatra Union and was elected general secretary of the organisation’s SM Hall unit at the University of Dhaka. Later, during the 1969 mass uprising, he served as president of the Dhaka University unit. He was also imprisoned for political reasons during this period.

After independence, Mirza Fakhrul began his professional career in 1972 as a lecturer at Dhaka College after joining the BCS Education cadre. Later, during President Ziaur Rahman’s tenure, he served as private secretary to then Deputy Prime Minister SA Bari. After SA Bari resigned in 1982, he returned to teaching. While working at Thakurgaon Government College, he served as deputy director of the government’s Directorate of Inspection and Audit and also worked with the Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO.

In 1988, he was elected chairman of Thakurgaon pourashava as an independent candidate. After the anti-autocracy movement of the 1990s, he joined the BNP. He contested the 1991 national election as a BNP candidate. In 1992, he became president of Thakurgaon district BNP. At the same time, he served as a central vice-president of the Krishak Dal.

After being elected a member of Parliament from the Thakurgaon-1 constituency in the 2001 election, he served as state minister for agriculture and later as state minister for civil aviation and tourism in the BNP government.

At the BNP’s fifth national council in 2009, Mirza Fakhrul was elected senior joint secretary general of the party. During the tenure of the then Awami League (whose activities are banned) government, he became widely known in the media as the opposition party’s spokesperson.

Following the death of then BNP Secretary General Khondkar Delwar Hossain in March 2011, party chairperson Khaleda Zia appointed him acting secretary general. At the BNP’s sixth national council on 16 March, 2016, he became secretary general.

After the BNP won the 13th national parliamentary election in 2026 and formed the government, Mirza Fakhrul was given charge of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives. The party nominated him for the presidency today. He has already resigned as BNP secretary general and as a member of the National Standing Committee.

Besides politics, he has also been involved in sports and cultural activities.

Mirza Fakhrul is married. His wife, Rahat Ara Begum, works at an insurance company in Dhaka. Their elder daughter, Mirza Shamaruh, studied at the University of Dhaka and later taught there. She currently lives in Australia and is a postdoctoral fellow. Their younger daughter, Mirza Safaruh, studied at the University of Dhaka and currently teaches at a school in Dhaka.

Mirza Fakhrul’s younger brother, Mirza Faisal Amin, is president of Thakurgaon district BNP. His uncle, Mirza Golam Hafiz, was a former land minister and law minister in the BNP government and speaker of the second Parliament. Another uncle, Wing Commander SR Mirza, served in the Mujibnagar government-in-exile in 1971. He was appointed head of the Directorate of Youth Camps, which was established to oversee training facilities for freedom fighters.

Thakurgaon district BNP General Secretary Paygam Ali told Prothom Alo that Mirza Fakhrul Islam has played an important role in national politics for many years. He said they were extremely pleased by the news of his nomination.

“We hope he will serve the country with his experience and wisdom,” he said.