Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman was an eminent Bangladeshi statesman, lawyer, Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation in the 1971 Mujibnagar Government, and President of the Awami League who was martyred on Jail Killing Day in 1975.
Born into a distinguished political family in Rajshahi on June 26, 1926, A.H.M. Qamaruzzaman earned degrees in economics and law from the University of Calcutta and the University of Rajshahi. A compassionate parliamentarian and fiery orator, he was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1962 and 1970. In 1971, as Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation in the Mujibnagar Provisional Government, Qamaruzzaman performed monumental humanitarian work, coordinating food, shelter, sanitation, and medical care for over ten million Bengali refugees across the border while mobilizing youth into the Mukti Bahini. In post-war Bangladesh, he served as Minister for Commerce and Industry and was elected President of the Bangladesh Awami League in 1974. Martyred alongside his three comrades inside Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975, he remains revered as "Hena Bhai" for his legendary empathy, humility, and patriotism.
Notable Achievements & Works
- Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation in the 1971 Mujibnagar Government
- Coordinated humanitarian aid and shelter for 10 million refugees during the Liberation War
- President of the Bangladesh Awami League (1974)
- Minister of Commerce and Industries in post-independence Bangladesh
- Martyred on November 3, 1975, commemorated as one of the Four National Leaders (চার জাতীয় নেতা)
