Zainul Abdin Farroque

Zainul Abdin Farroque
জয়নুল আবেদীন ফারুক
Zainul Abdin Farooq, adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, at a protest meeting organized in front of the National Press Club.-2024
Member of National Parliament
In office 29 December 2008 – 9 January 2014
Preceded by	MA Hashem
Succeeded by	Morshed Alam
Constituency	Noakhali-2
In office 20 March 1991 – 29 October 2006
Preceded by	Moudud Ahmed
Succeeded by	Mahbub Uddin Khokon
Constituency	Noakhali-1
Personal details
Born	(1949-12-10) 10 December 1949 (age 75) Noakhali District, East Pakistan
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Political party	Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Military service
Branch/service	Mukti Bahini
Battles/wars	Bangladesh Liberation War

Zainul Abdin Farroque is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician and a former member of parliament for Noakhali-2 and Noakhali-1.[1][2]

Early life

Zainul Abdin Farroque was born on 10 December 1949.[3]

Career

In 2009, Farroque was elected to parliament as an opposition member and appointed the opposition whip. On 6 July 2011 he was injured by members of the Bangladesh Police in an opposition demonstration near the Bangladesh Parliament.[4] He sued the police officers involved and filled a 100 million taka lawsuit against the government. The case was dismissed after investigators submitted a Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Hasibul Haque blaming Farroque for the incident.[5]

Farroque was arrested on 3 July 2017 by the Bangladesh Police on cases that accused him of sabotage during protests against the government.[6] He was granted bail on 6 September 2017 in two cases over protests against the Bangladesh Awami League government.[7] He is an adviser to former prime minister and chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Khaleda Zia.[8]

Police harassment

Police attack in 2011

On July 6 and 7, 2011, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called for a hartal (strike). During the first day of the strike, Manik, along with opposition Chief Whip Farroque and party MPs, led a protest march in front of the Parliament House. At that time, the police tried to stop the protest. During a heated exchange with the police, Additional Police Commissioner Harun-Ur-Rashid and Assistant Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar attacked Zainul Abedin Farroque. The police officers began beating the MP and kicked him with their booted feet. As they started hitting him with batons and rifle butts, he became bloodied and ran for his life.[9]

When BNP MPs tried to file a case regarding the incident that day, BNP MP Ashraf Uddin Nizam was not allowed to enter the police station. The case was later filed in court, but the court dismissed it. On the other hand, the police filed a case against Zainul Abedin Farroque and 11 others.[10][11][12]

After the fall of the Awami League government during the student and public uprising on August 5, 2024, Zainul Abedin Farroque filed an attempted murder case against the police on August 19 at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station. Harun-Ur-Rashid and Biplob Kumar Sarkar were named as accused in the case. The case was filed under sections 323, 325, 326, 307, 206, 109, and 34 of the Bangladesh Penal Code.[13][14]

Zainul Abedin Farroque, advisor to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, at a protest meeting in front of the National Press Club on October 2, 2024.

Arrest in 2013

During a protest against the government, the Bangladesh Police arrested Farroque on July 3, 2013, accusing him of sabotage.[15] He was granted bail in September 2007 in two cases related to protests against the Bangladesh Awami League government.[7] He is an advisor to former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia.[16]

References

1. "Name of Committees for 9th Parliament (English)". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
2. "List of 8th Parliament Members" (PDF). Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
3. "Profile Mr. Zainul Abdin Farroque". tritiyomatra.com. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
4. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011. Government Printing Office. 1987. p. 2082. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
5. "Zainul Abdin files damage suit". The Daily Star. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
6. "BNP leader Zainul Abedin Farroque lands in jail in 'sabotage' cases". bdnews24.com. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
7. "BNP's Farroque, 28 others get bail". The Daily Star. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
8. "BNP intends to stand by govt on Rohingya issue, says Farroque". The Daily Sun. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
9. 13 years ago, a case was filed against Harun and Biplob for attacking Zainul Abedin
10. 13 years later, a case against Harun and Biplob by Zainul Abedin Farroque
11. Prothom Alo, July 11, 2011. Page 1
12. Prothom Alo, July 13, 2011. Page 24
13. Case against Harun and Biplob by BNP's Farroque regarding an incident 13 years ago
14. Report, Star Digital (19 August 2024). "2011 assault on BNP's Farroque: Case filed against Harun, Biplob". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
15. "BNP leader Zainul Abedin Farroque lands in jail in 'sabotage' cases". bdnews24.com. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
16. "BNP intends to stand by govt on Rohingya issue, says Farroque". The Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.