Abdur Rahman Biswas facts for kids

Abdur Rahman Biswas (born September 1, 1926 – died November 3, 2017) was an important politician from Bangladesh. He served as the President of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996. Before Bangladesh became independent, Biswas even represented Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly, which is a big meeting of countries from all over the world.

Early Life and Education

Abdur Rahman Biswas was born in a village called Shaistabad, in the Barisal District. He went to the University of Dhaka. There, he earned degrees in history and law. After his studies, he worked to help his community. He led a local bank and supported new schools.

In the 1950s, he became a lawyer. He was chosen twice to be the president of the Barisal Bar Association in the 1970s. He also worked as a lawyer in the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the country.

Political Journey

Biswas began his political journey by joining the Muslim League party. This was during the time of Ayub Khan, who was the President of Pakistan.

He was elected to the East Pakistan Legislative Assembly in 1962 and again in 1965. This assembly was like a local parliament. In 1967, he represented Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly. This shows he was involved in international affairs.

Later, in 1977, he became the chairman of Barisal Municipality. This meant he was in charge of the local government for the city of Barisal. He then became a member of parliament in 1979. A member of parliament helps make laws for the country.

He served as a minister under two presidents. He was the minister for textiles and jute under President Ziaur Rahman. Later, he was the health minister under President Abdus Sattar. He also held a leadership role as a vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

In the 1991 election, he was again elected as a member of parliament. Soon after, he was chosen as the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, which means he was the leader of the parliament. On September 10 of the same year, he became the 16th President of Bangladesh.

President of Bangladesh

As president, Abdur Rahman Biswas spent much of his time reading and meeting important people. These included famous scientists and leaders from other countries. For example, he met Nobel laureate physicist Abdus Salam, and prime ministers and kings from neighboring countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Malaysia.

However, as the head of the Caretaker government of Bangladesh, he also faced big challenges. There were problems with the military and a lot of political unrest in the country.

February 1996 Election

From mid-1994, there were many clashes between different political groups. These fights led to violence, including bomb attacks and fires at party offices and government buildings. The main opposition party, led by Sheikh Hasina, decided to boycott the national elections planned for February 15, 1996.

Even though the election was held, the three main opposition parties did not take part. So, Khaleda Zia's party, the BNP, was re-elected. But because of the boycott, the election was not seen as fair by many. To solve this, on March 26, the new parliament passed a law. This law allowed for a temporary caretaker government to be set up.

June 1996 Election

On March 28, 1996, President Biswas signed the Caretaker Government bill into law. This was a good step for human rights groups. After this, President Biswas dissolved the newly elected parliament. Khaleda Zia stepped down from her role.

Then, a former Chief Justice, Muhammad Habibur Rahman, was chosen to lead the temporary government. This caretaker government was put in place to hold new national elections. These new elections took place on June 12, 1996.

1996 Military Situation

On May 19, 1996, President Biswas, who was leading the caretaker government, gave an order. He told the army chief, Lieutenant General Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim, to make two senior officers retire. These officers had spoken out against the country's situation. The President believed they were involved in political activities with opposition parties.

However, General Nasim refused to follow the order. The very next day, President Biswas removed Nasim from his position. He also sent soldiers to take control of the state radio and television stations.

Around noon that day, General Nasim ordered soldiers from different parts of the country to march towards Dhaka, the capital city. But a Major General named Imamuzzaman, whose division was closest to Dhaka, stayed loyal to the President. He quickly removed all boats and ferries from the Jamuna River. This stopped the soldiers from crossing the river to reach Dhaka.

President Biswas also sent troops with tanks to block a major highway. This stopped another group of soldiers from entering Dhaka. Another Major General, Mohammad Anwar Hossain, also helped the President. He sent his troops to protect Bangabhaban, the presidential palace. His troops also blocked the highway leading to Chittagong, stopping another army division.

The government broadcast messages telling all soldiers to stay in their barracks. After a few hours, the soldiers who were marching towards Dhaka returned to their bases. The division from Chittagong never even started moving towards Dhaka. Their commander realized that the attempt to take over the government would not succeed.

That night, General Nasim was interviewed by the BBC. He said that as Army Chief, he could move troops whenever he wanted. But he was later arrested and placed under house arrest. The new government, which came to power in 1996, later allowed him to formally retire. President Biswas later said that these events were his "most memorable experience." He stepped down as president on October 9, 1996, and Shahabuddin Ahmed became the new president.

Family Life

Abdur Rahman Biswas was married to Hosne Ara Rahman. She was a cousin of another politician, Rashed Khan Menon. They had five sons: Monu, Ehteshamul Haque Nasim, Shamsuddoza Kamal, Jamilur Rahman Shibli, and Muidur Rahman Romel. They also had two daughters: Akhi and Rakhi.

Later Years

After his time as president ended, Biswas decided to retire from politics completely. In 2006, during a time of political trouble in Bangladesh, his house in Barisal was set on fire by activists from a political party.

Abdur Rahman Biswas passed away on November 3, 2017, at the age of 91. He died in United Hospital, Dhaka due to breathing problems. He was buried in Banani Graveyard on November 4.