Sheikh Mohammad Rezaul Karim (born 18 February 1962) is a

Bangladesh Awami League The Awami League, officially known as Bangladesh Awami League, is a major List of political parties in Bangladesh, political party in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played the leading role in achievin ...

politician and a former

Jatiya Sangsad The Jatiya Sangsad (), often simply referred to as Sangsad and also known as is the unicameral Legislature, legislative body of Bangladesh. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 350 seats, including 50 seats reserved exclusively for w ...

member representing the Pirojpur-1 constituency during 2019–2024. He is a former minister of fisheries and livestock. Earlier he had served as the minister of housing and public works for 13 months. He has been in hiding ever since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on 5 August 2024.

Early life and background

Sheikh Mohammad Rezaul Karim was born on 18 February 1962 into one of the ''zamindar'' families of the

Pirojpur Pirojpur () is a town in Pirojpur district in Barisal Division in southern Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eig ...

region of

Barisal Barisal ( or ; , ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal District and Barisal Divi ...

, the

Sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

family of Nazirpur. His father was Sheikh Abdul Khaleq, a freedom fighter, his mother was Majeda Begum, he was the third born son in the family.

Career

Rezaul Karim was a minister at the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and he was a member of parliament (MP) for Pirojpur-1. He is also a member of the executive committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh (Appellate Division & High Court Division), former minister of housing and public works, former secretary of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar. He was the founder and founding chief editor of Bangladeshi newspaper ''The Daily Ajker Darpon''. He is legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League's Central Working Committee. Following the fall of the

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina (''née'' Wazed; born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024. Premiership of Sheikh Hasina, Her ...

led Awami League government, Karim's home in Pirojpur was burned down in February 2025.

Personal life

Rezaul Karim is married to Parveen Reza, a poet, and has a son and a daughter both of whom are barristers and are members of the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn, London. His son is Sheikh Tanweer Karim and his daughter is Sheikh Sadia Karim, his daughter is the first female barrister from Pirojpur District.

References

Living people 1962 births Awami League politicians 11th Jatiya Sangsad members Ministers of housing and public works of Bangladesh Ministers of fisheries and livestock of Bangladesh 12th Jatiya Sangsad members Place of birth missing (living people) {{Barisal-AL-politician-stub