Akbar Hossain

Bir Protik Akbar Hossain (18 January 1941 – 25 June 2006) was a Bangladeshi politician of the Bangladesh National Party. He served as the Minister for Shipping, Minister for the Environment and Forests, and Minister for Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

Biography Hossain was born in Kashari Patty on 18 January 1941, in Comilla District. After independence was won, he took voluntary retirement from the Bangladesh Army at the end of December 1973, after attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Political career Hossain then became actively involved in politics and helped form the United People's Party (UPP) in January 1974. He went on to become the vice-president of the UPP. In 1977, the UPP merged with the Jatiyatabadi Front. Hossain left and joined the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and played a crucial role in its founding. Hossain was first elected a member of the Bangladesh Parliament in 1979. He represented the Comilla 8th constituency in the 2nd Jatiyo Sangshad elections, a seat he was re-elected to four times.

In October 2001, Hossain was appointed Minister for Shipping after the BNP-led four-party alliance won the 8th Jatiyo Sangshad elections, with a two-thirds majority and Khaleda Zia became the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the third time. He died in Dhaka in 2006 following a massive heart attack.