Abdur Rab Serniabat

Abdur Rob Serniabat (4 April 1921-1975) was a Bangladeshi politician and the former water resources minister. He was the brother-in-law of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founding father of Bangladesh, and the maternal uncle of Sheikh Hasina, the five-time Prime Minister of Bangladesh. He was killed during the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975.

Early life Serniabat was born on 4 April 1921 to the Bengali Muslim Serniabat family of Seral, Agailjhara, in the Backergunge District of the Bengal Presidency. The family were direct descendants of Emperor Sher Shah Suri. He passed his matriculation from Chadshi High School in Gauranadi or Bhola High School, Intermediate of Arts from Brojomohun College, Bachelor of Arts from Calcutta Islamia College, and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Dacca. He later stepped into politics, becoming general secretary of the Ganatantri Party from 1956. Serniabat then joined the central committee of the National Awami Party when it formed in 1957. In 1969, he joined the East Pakistan Awami League and was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan at the 1970 Pakistani general election, but this assembly was never formed. It led to the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, where Serniabat served as the chairman of the Barisal South Zonal Council and remained a member of the Awami League central working committee. He later joined the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League. His son Abul Hasnat Abdullah was elected a member of parliament in 2014. His house is now part of the headquarters complex of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. On 30 July 2018, his grandson, Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, was elected mayor of Barisal. His daughter is married to the brother of MP Mahbubul Alam Hanif.

Legacy Shaheed Abdur Rob Serniabat Stadium at Barishal Division in Bangladesh is named after him. SARSTEC, a technological college for textiles education that is located at the same division, has also been named in his honour.