Annisul Huq

Bangladeshi businessman

Annisul Huq
আনিসুল হক
1st Mayor of North Dhaka
In office
7 May 2015 – 30 November 2017
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byOsman Goni
(In-charge)
Personal details
Born(1952-09-27)27 September 1952
Sonapur, Sonagazi, Feni, East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan
Died30 November 2017(2017-11-30) (aged 65)
London, England
Resting placeBanani Graveyard, Dhaka
NationalityBangladeshi
SpouseRubana Huq
RelationsShafiul Huq (brother)
Children3
EducationB.S.S and M.S.S
Alma mater
  • University of Chittagong
  • University of Rajshahi
OccupationChairman and CEO, Mohammadi Group
AwardsNational ICT Award, (2017)
Websiteannisulhuq.com

Annisul Huq (27 September 1952 – 30 November 2017)[1] was a Bangladeshi entrepreneur, television show host and the mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation.[2][3]

Early life and education

He was born on 27 September 1952, Sonapur at Sonagazi in Feni to Shariful Huq and Rowshan Ara.[1] His father was an official of the Bangladesh Ansar.[4] He passed SSC from Dinajpur Zilla School in 1970 and intermediate from Govt Science College.[citation needed] He completed his bachelor's degree from the University of Rajshahi and had a master's in economics from the University of Chittagong.[5][6]

Career

Television

Annisul Huq was a regular host on Bangladesh Television in the early 1980s.[1] He hosted interviews with politically significant personalities.

Business

Annisul Huq established his own business, Mohammadi Group in 1986 and was the chairperson of the company until his death.[1] As of 2007, the group had 7,000 employees in the textile and garments sector.[7] The conglomerate is also involved in real estate, IT, a power generation company that directly contributes to the national grid and a distribution company that represents multiple foreign television channels. The group has an independent TV channel named Nagorik.[8][9]

Annisul Huq served as the president of several apex bodies including the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA),[10] Federation of the Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Independent Power Producers Association.[11]

Politics

Annisul Huq was elected the mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation on ticket of Bangladesh Awami League in the city corporation election of 2015.[4] He was a surprise pick by the Awami League as no other leaders of the party stood for the position.[12] According to the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission in March 2015, he had amassed a net worth of US$3.25 million.[13]

As mayor, Annisul Huq promised to build Dhaka into a clean, green and safe city,[14] although he received some flak for his involvement of foreigners.[15] 20,000 illegal billboards were removed as part of the clean-up project.[16] Mayor Annisul Huq made it clear that he will not put up with resistance from vested interests in his clean-up efforts.[17]

Annisul Huq also promised to reduce corruption among governmental employees.[18]

Personal life

Annisul Huq's younger brother General Abu Belal Mohammad Shafiul Huq was the 15th chief of the Bangladesh Army.[12] Huq was married to Rubana Huq. Together they have three children.[3]

Death

In July 2017, Annisul Huq was admitted to a hospital in London.[19] He was diagnosed with cerebral vasculitis.[20] He died on 30 November 2017, after being in a sedative condition for more than three months.[12][21] He was posthumously granted a National Information and Communication Technology Award.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "From TV studio to mayoral hot seat – the remarkable rise of Annisul Huq". bdnews24.com. 29 April 2015.
  2. ^ "Annisul Huq gets mandate to become first mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation". bdnews24.com. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Mayor's Profile: Annisul Huq". Dhaka North City Corporation. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Dhaka North Mayor Annisul Huq no more". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Annisul Huq, President, SAARC Chamber & Chairman, Mohammadi Group". Mohammadi Group. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  6. ^ "Annisul Huq: A man of many talents". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  7. ^ McGivering, Jill (17 February 2007). "Bangladesh's split personality". BBC News.
  8. ^ "Mohammadi Group". mohammadigroup.com. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. ^ S.M. Saidur Rahman. "Annisul Huq – Golden Business Bangladesh". goldenbusinessbd.com. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Bangladesh gloom after Tata exit". BBC News. 1 August 2008.
  11. ^ "Annisul Huq, President, SAARC Chamber & Chairman, Mohammadi Group -". reflectionnews.com. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ^ a b c "Mayor Annisul Huq loses battle, dies in London hospital". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Annisul Huq has no home, car". NTV. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  14. ^ ঢাকা উত্তর মেয়র প্রার্থী আনিসুল হকের ইশতেহার ঘোষণা [Annisul Huq announces his platform as the Mayor of Dhaka]. BBC News (in Bengali). Bangladesh. 11 April 2015. Archived from the original on 15 December 2015.
  15. ^ বিদেশিদের রাস্তা পরিস্কার অভিযানের প্রশংসায় মেয়র [Mayor praises the cleaning by foreign operators]. BBC News (in Bengali). Bangladesh. 5 August 2015. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016.
  16. ^ Islam, Aminul (12 August 2015). "20 Thousand Billboards Removed". Our Time. Dhaka, Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  17. ^ "Muscle power won't work". Bangladesh Chronicle. 29 November 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  18. ^ "Graft free DNCC, streetlights by Shab-e-Barat in South Dhaka". The Daily Star. Dhaka, Bangladesh. 13 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  19. ^ "Dhaka North Mayor Anisul Huq hospitalized in London". bdnews24.com. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  20. ^ "Three-member DNCC mayor panel formed". The Daily Star. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  21. ^ আনিসুল হক আর নেই. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  22. ^ "BSS reporter Mahmudul Hasan Raju receives ICT Award". BSS. 12 December 2017. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2024.