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{{Short description|Bangladeshi politician and bureaucrat}}
{{other people5||Nurul Islam (disambiguation)}}

'''A M Nurul Islam''' ({{lang-bn|নূরুল ইসলাম অনু}}; 1939–2017), also known as '''Nurul Islam Anu''', was a Bangladeshi politician and bureaucrat. He started his career in the erstwhile [[Civil Services of Pakistan]] (CSP) in 1963 and joined the Government of [[Bangladesh]] after independence in 1971. He was the private secretary to former Prime Minister of Bangladesh [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] (1972 to 1973). He has been the longest serving president of the US chapter of [[Bangladesh Awami League]] (1989-2002).

== Early life ==
A M Nurul Islam (Anu) was born on December 14, 1939 in [[Courtgaon]] of [[Munshiganj District]], [[Dhaka Division]], [[Bangladesh]]. His father was Sirajul Islam and mother was Edanessa Begum. He is the elder brother of A J M Enamul Islam, the [[Secretary General]] of the [[Commonwealth Society]] of Bangladesh; also an established Bangladeshi businessman. He is the younger brother of Firoza Begum and Hosneara Chowdhury, former director of the Department of Social Services. Anu is the nephew of [[Abdul Hakim Vikrampuri|Abdul Hakim Bikrampuri]], former member of the undivided Bengal Legislative Assembly and Pakistan Provisional and National Assembly.

He received MA in history from [[University of Dhaka]] in 1961, and worked as a lecturer in the university till joining the [[Civil Services of Pakistan]] in 1963.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bank Asia » Management |url=http://www.bankasia-bd.com/home/nurul_islam |website=bankasia-bd.com |access-date=23 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607234158/http://www.bankasia-bd.com/home/nurul_islam |archive-date=7 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

His wife, Mohsina Islam, gave birth to their first son, Mohammed Fares, in 1965. Their second son, Mohammed Riad, was born in 1969.

== Career ==
===Civil service===

A M Nurul Islam (Anu) worked in various capacities of the District and Civil Administration under the governments of Pakistan (1963-1971) and Bangladesh (1972-1975). During Bangladesh's liberation war in 1971, despite being under the then [[East Pakistan]] government, he played pivotal role from within the administration helping the exiled [[Mujibnagar]] government.<ref name="na25Oct2017">{{cite news |title=Silent soldier from the swirling ’60s |url=http://www.newagebd.net/article/26864/silent-soldier-from-the-swirling-60s |access-date=23 August 2018 |work=New Age |date=25 October 2017 |language=en}}</ref> He was given the assignment to bring [[Bangabhaban]] to order after the surrender of the Pakistan army on December 16, 1971; fix the damaged infrastructure and mobilize Bangabhaban's staff before the arrival of the exiled leaders of the first government of Bangladesh from Mujibnagar.<ref>{{cite news |title=Independence Day Special |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2004/victory_day/vic05.htm |access-date=26 August 2018 |work=The Daily Star |date=16 December 2004}}</ref> Following, the installation of the first government of the [[People's Republic of Bangladesh]], Anu was inducted in the administration as the joint secretary to President [[Abu Sayeed Chowdhury]], in 1972. Soon, he got transferred to the Prime Minister's Office and appointed as the private secretary to Prime Minister [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] (1972-1973).<ref>{{cite news |title=PM mourns death of Bangabandhu's PS Anu |url=http://en.samakal.com/bangladesh/article/1710182/pm-mourns-death-of-bangabandhus-ps-anu |access-date=26 August 2018 |work=SAMAKAL |date=18 October 2017 |language=en}}</ref> In 1973, Anu was attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and assigned in the High Commission of Bangladesh in Washington D.C. as its Economic and Trade Counselor.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nurul Islam Anu as I knew him |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/tribute/nurul-islam-anu-i-knew-him-1478965 |access-date=23 August 2018 |work=The Daily Star |date=20 October 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

Islam continued his career as a diplomat till August 15, 1975 when he resigned in protest of the assassination of President [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] and declined to join the following governments of [[Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad]] and [[Ziaur Rahman]].<ref name="na25Oct2017" />

For his outstanding contributions, in shaping up the civil administration of Bangladesh, Anu was awarded the ''Mother Teresa Gold Medal'' in 2010 by the Mother Teresa Research Council.<ref>{{cite news |title=20 receive Mother Teresa Gold Medal |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-147800 |access-date=25 August 2018 |work=The Daily Star |date=22 July 2010 |language=en}}</ref>

===Politics===
Being, a career civil servant, Islam was not affiliated with any political party until his resignation from government service in 1975. Following, his resignation as a diplomat, he joined the [[Bangladesh Awami League]] and was instrumental in the formation of the party's US chapter (US Awami League) in 1982. In 1989, Islam was elected the president of the US Awami League, in the presence of the president of the Bangladesh Awami League, [[Sheikh Hasina]], and went on to become the longest serving president of the party's unit in North America (1989-2002).<ref>{{cite web |title=About of Bangladesh Awami league – US Awami League |url=http://usawamileague.org/about-of-bangladesh-awami-league/ |website=usawamileague.org |access-date=23 August 2018 |archive-date=25 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825193208/http://usawamileague.org/about-of-bangladesh-awami-league/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Anu was an influential member of the [[Awami League|Awami League’s]] election coordination team for the 1991 and 1996 parliamentary elections.

===Private sector and print media===

Following, Islam's resignation from the High Commission of Bangladesh, Anu entered the field of business, and settled in [[Maryland]], USA. He established an international commodity trading and consulting company, Transcontinental IMEX Plc., and was the president of the company for more than 20 years. Anu moved back to Bangladesh from the United States of America in 2004 and got involved in the country's banking sector. He was the director of [[National Bank Limited]], a private commercial bank from 2005 to 2008 and was in charge of the bank's audit committee from 2007 to 2008.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bank Asia re-elects vice chairmen |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/business/banking/bank-asia-re-elects-vice-chairmen-75253 |access-date=23 August 2018 |work=The Daily Star |date=3 April 2015 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2008, Islam joined another private commercial bank, [[Bank Asia Limited]], as its director. In 2009, he became the bank's vice chairman, and remained in the position till his death on October 18, 2017. During the time, he headed the bank's Audit and Risk Management Committees in various phases. In 2013, Anu joined the Opex Group, one of Bangladesh's leading ready-made garment exporting companies as its financial advisor and remained there till the time of his death.<ref>{{cite news |title=Obituary |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/obituary-1478551 |access-date=23 August 2018 |work=The Daily Star |date=19 October 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

From 2009 to 2013, Islam was the editor and, later publisher, of the Bengali newspaper, the ''Daily Shokaler Khobor'' (''Bengali:'' দৈনিক সকালের খবর). He was also a columnist for ''The Daily Star'', writing political commentaries in the country's most circulated English newspaper.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Anu |first1=Nurul Islam |title=Impartial bureaucracy: A fading dream |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2011/anniversary/part1/pg18.htm |access-date=26 August 2018 |work=The Daily Star |issue=20th Anniversary Supplement |date=14 March 2011}}</ref>

== Death ==
Islam died on October 18, 2017. President of Bangladesh [[Abdul Hamid]] and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate condolence messages remembering the contributions of Islam.<ref>{{cite news |title=News Brief |url=http://pressinform.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/pressinform.portal.gov.bd/allnotes/327a1b76_6918_424e_9461_17289fc1d08c/19%20oct%2017%20Brief.docx |access-date=26 August 2018 |agency=Press Information Department |publisher=Government of Bangladesh |date=19 October 2017}}</ref>

The US Awami League, in New York, and its affiliated organizations, across North America, organized prayer and memorial services in honor of Nurul Islam Anu.<ref>{{cite news |script-title=bn:আ.লীগ নেতা অনুর মৃত্যুতে যুক্তরাষ্ট্রে শোক সমাবেশ |url=https://bangla.bdnews24.com/probash/article1409955.bdnews |access-date=26 August 2018 |work=bdnews24.com |date=19 October 2017 |language=bn}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Islam, A M Nurul}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Munshiganj District]]
[[Category:Awami League politicians]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi bankers]]

A M Nurul Islam - Revision history

CleanupBot at 08:03, 11 December 2022