Zillur Rahman

Mohammed Zillur Rahman (9 March 1929 – 20 March 2013) was a Bangladeshi politician who served as President of Bangladesh from 2009 until his death in 2013. He was also a senior presidium member of the Awami League. He is the third president of Bangladesh to die in office and the first to die of natural causes, as both Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman were assassinated.

Early life Zillur Rahman was born on 9 March 1929 in Bhairab Upazila, Kishoreganj District, his mother's paternal home. His father, Meher Ali Miyan, was a lawyer, the Chairman of the Mymensingh Local Board and Member of the District Board. In 1954, he got his MA with Honours in History and an LL.B. degree from Dhaka University.

Career Zillur Rahman became close with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during the campaign for the 1947 Sylhet referendum. He held a student gathering on 19 February 1952 at Dhaka University as part of the language movement. In 1953, he was expelled by Dhaka University for his role in the language Movement but the order was rescinded in the face of student protests. He was the vice-chairman of election steering committee for the greater Mymensingh region during the 1954 election. He was the president of the Awami League affiliated East Pakistan Awami Swechchhasebak League. In 1956 he was elected President of the Kishoreganj subdivision unit of Awami League. He served as the General Secretary of Dhaka District Bar Association. After the war, Zillur Rahman became the General Secretary of Awami League in 1972. He was elected as a member of the parliament in the 1973 general elections. His wife, Ivy Rahman, was killed the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack. She was a leader of Bangladesh Awami League and its women's front the Mohila League. He served as the temporary President of Bangladesh Awami League during the 2006–08 Bangladeshi political crisis when President of Bangladesh Awami League, Sheikh Hasina, was imprisoned by the military-backed caretaker government. He was re-elected to Parliament in 2008. He was elected president of Bangladesh uncontested. In May 2009 in a meeting with the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he called for caution over the global recession and emphasized the importance of globalization. He was the Chief Scout of Bangladesh and expressed happiness over Bangladesh becoming the 5th largest scout country in the world during his term. As President he was the Supreme Commander of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. He had called for the modernizing of the Armed Forces. He called for improving ties between the Air Forces of South Asian countries.

On 27 September 2010, Zillur Rahman appointed Justice A. B. M. Khairul Haque to be the 19th chief justice of Bangladesh. He called for their training to be improved to facilitate the modernization. In 2012, he asked the Organisation of Islamic Conference countries to pressure Myanmar to take back the Rohingya refugees. He called for expanding trade and diplomatic ties with Cuba after the Cuban ambassador to Bangladesh presented his credentials on 10 February 2012. On 28 January 2013, he criticised Bangladesh Nationalist Party, then the opposition party, for not participating in the parliament and carrying out their duties.

Clemency power exercised by Zillur Rahman Zillur Rahman exercised his power to grant clemency to as many as 21 individuals while he was in office. In contrast, only four pardons were granted by his predecessors between 1972 and 2008. the death penalty for the murder in absentia. Following applications from Biplob's mother, Zillur Rahman, the then President pardoned Biplob in the murder case of the lawyer in July 2011 and, then in February 2012, remitted the two other life imprisonments to ten years imprisonments.

Personal life Zillur Rahman was married to fellow Awami League politician Ivy Rahman, the party's secretary for women's affairs. Ivy was killed in the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack. Together they had one son – Nazmul Hassan Papon – and two daughters – Tania Bakht and Tanima Bakht.

Illness and death

Zillur Rahman died at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore aged 84 on 20 March 2013 after he was flown to the country by an air ambulance for critical lung infection on 10 March. It followed his admission to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at Dhaka cantonment the previous day, which was his 84th birthday. In Singapore, he had been undergoing treatment for kidney and respiratory problems since 11 March. Bangladesh's High Commissioner in Singapore Mahbub Uz Zaman announced: "The president died at a hospital here in Singapore at 6:47 pm local time." At the time of his death his children were with him. In his absence, Parliamentary Speaker Abdul Hamid was appointed as acting president on 14 March. A presidential spokesman later announced that Hamid has declared three days of national mourning. He was buried in Dhaka's Banani graveyard.