Kamal Uddin Ahmed (government official)

Kamal Uddin Ahmed
Chairman
National Human Rights Commission
In office
8 December 2022 – 7 November 2024
Appointed byPresident of Bangladesh
PresidentMohammed Shahabuddin
Preceded byNasima Begum
Full time Member
National Human Rights Commission
In office
22 September 2019 – 23 September 2022
Preceded byMd. Nazrul Islam
Succeeded bySelim Reza
Secretary
Ministry of Home Affairs
In office
14 February 2017 – 27 August 2017
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Preceded byDr. Md Mozammel Haque Khan
Succeeded byMostafa Kamal Uddin
Personal details
Born (1959-06-10) 10 June 1959 (age 65)
Alma materUniversity of Dhaka

Kamal Uddin Ahmed is a Bangladeshi retired government official who was the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.[1][2][3] He is the former Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.[4]

Career

Kamal Uddin Ahmed joined BCS Administration cadre in 1986 as Assistant Commissioner.

He served as the deputy secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology.[5]

Ahmed was promoted to joint secretary from deputy secretary.[6] In 2010, Ahmed placed Non-Governmental Organizations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts under government surveillance.[7] Ahmed as Additional Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs oversaw the joint survey with India of border lands to solve the adversely possessed land issue between the two countries.[8] He led a 12-member Bangladeshi delegation in a meeting with an Indian delegation following the Border shooting of Felani Khatun.[9]

In 2013, Ahmed was the additional secretary of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.[10]

Ahmed was transferred from his post of the Additional Secretary to the acting secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in January 2015.[11]

In December 2016, Ahmed was appointed the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs replacing Mozammel Haque Khan.[12] He was then the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.[12]

In August 2017, Ahmed was made Member (Secretary) of the Bangladesh Planning Commission replacing Mustafa Kamal Uddin who was appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs replacing Ahmed.[13]

In September 2019, Ahmed was appointed Full Time Member of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh under Chairman Nasima Begum.[14] His appointment was criticized by the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions which described it as a flawed selection.[14]

In December 2022, Ahmed was appointed Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh with pay and privilege of a judge of the Appellate Division of Supreme Court of Bangladesh.[15] He defended the track record of the commission investigating law enforcement and enforced disappearance while highlighting the limitations of the commission.[16]

Ahmed met the European Union election exploratory mission in July 2023 ahead of the 2024 general elections in Bangladesh to discuss the human rights situation in Bangladesh.[17] He described sanctions by the United States on Rapid Action Battalion for human rights violations as "politically motivated".[18]

References

  1. ^ "NHRC chairman, 5 members quit". The Daily Star. 7 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Former secy Kamal appointed new NHRC chairman". Prothom Alo. 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  3. ^ "Kamal Uddin Ahmed's schedule for 2019 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights". 2019unforumbhr.sched.com. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  4. ^ "Mass awareness must for protecting wildlife". The Daily Star. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  5. ^ "New SME helpline centre launched". The Daily Star. 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  6. ^ "Names of promoted government officials". The Daily Star. 2009-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  7. ^ Arzu, Alpha (2010-07-03). "NGOs in CHT under surveillance". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  8. ^ Rahman, M. (2011-05-24). "Enclave survey to be done by mid-June". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  9. ^ "India regrets Felani killing". The Daily Star. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  10. ^ "Digital certificate for government offices". The Daily Star. 2013-11-27. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  11. ^ "Kamal made acting forests secretary". The Daily Star. 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  12. ^ a b "Kamal made home secretary". The Daily Star. 2016-12-08. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  13. ^ "9 secretaries transferred". The Daily Star. 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  14. ^ a b "[ANNI Statement] Bangladesh: Another Flawed Selection Process for National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh". FORUM-ASIA. 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  15. ^ "Ex-secretary Kamal made new NHRC chairman". Dhaka Tribune. 10 December 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  16. ^ Tithi, Naznin (2023-08-30). "'NHRC can't directly investigate cases involving law enforcers'". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  17. ^ "Run-up to polls: EU team talks with NHRC on rights situation". The Daily Star. 2023-07-11. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  18. ^ "US sanctions on RAB might be politically motivated: NHRC". The Business Standard. 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2023-09-03.