Shajahan Siraj


Shajahan Siraj was a Bangladeshi politician who served as the vice chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. As a student, he was involved with the Bangladesh Liberation War. He was one of the founders of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal. Siraj served five terms as the member of parliament for the Tangail-4 unit; he was arrested in 2007 for tax evasion. He died at the age of 77 due to cancer

Early life

Siraj attended Government Saadat College, where he was twice elected vice president of the student council. He served as the General Secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student organization of the Awami League. He was a leader of the Mukti Bahini and one of the leaders of Bangladesh liberation. Siraj was one of the designers of the Bangladesh flag. Siraj read the manifesto of Bangladesh independence on March 3, 1971, in front of millions of people in the presence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He served as the acting General Secretary and also the president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal.

Career

Siraj won election to parliament five times from constituency Tangail-4, Kalihati. Roads, bridges, schools, colleges, hospitals, and mosques were built for the people of Kalihati during his tenure as a M.P. He served as a minister, for the Government of Bangladesh, during 1991 and 2001 BNP's tenure. During his tenure as the environment minister, the use and production of plastic shopping bags were banned in Bangladesh, 3-stroke scooters were withdrawn from the road, and social tree plantation turned into a movement.
In 2007, arrest warrants were issued for Siraj in connection with thirteen charges of tax evasion. He was sentenced to thirteen years in jail, and his wife three.

Personal life

Siraj was married to Mrs. Rabeya Siraj, who is a women's movement leader, president of the BNP's Dhaka city women's front, and a member of the BNP national executive committee. Mr and Mrs Siraj have one daughter and one son. Their daughter, Barrister Sarwat Siraj, is a practising Advocate at the Bangladesh Supreme Court. Their son, Rajiv Siraj, is a member of board of directors of One Group.

Death

Shahjahan Siraj died on 14 July 2020 at a hospital in Dhaka. He had been suffering from cancer for a long time.