हिन्दू at 22:24, 20 February 2026

2026-02-20T22:24:39Z

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{{short description|Bangladeshi politician (born 1944)}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Anwar Hossain Manju
| native_name = আনোয়ার হোসেন মঞ্জু
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = Anwar Hossain at press conference Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka on National Tree Plantation Campaign, Tree Fair and World Environment Day 2015-07-11 (PID-0058927) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Manju in 2015

| office = [[Member of Parliament (Bangladesh)|Member of Bangladesh Parliament]]
| term_start = 29 January 2014
| term_end = 30 January 2024
| predecessor = [[Shah Alam (Bangladeshi politician, born 1951)|Shah Alam]]
| successor = [[Mohiuddin Maharaj]]

| term_start1 = 28 October 2001
| term_end1 = 27 October 2006
| predecessor1 = [[Tasmima Hossain]]

| term_start2 = 15 April 1988
| term_end2 = 24 November 1995
| predecessor2 = [[Mohammad Monirul Islam Monir|Monirul Islam Monir]]
| successor2 = [[Nurul Islam Manzur]]
| constituency2 = [[Pirojpur-2]]

| term_start3 = 14 July 1996
| term_end3 = 13 July 2001
| predecessor3 = [[Shahjahan Omar]]
| successor3 = Shahjahan Omar
| constituency3 = [[Jhalokati-1]]

| office4 = [[Ministry of Water Resources (Bangladesh)|Minister of Water Resources]]
| primeminister4 = [[Sheikh Hasina]]
| term_start4 = 3 January 2018
| term_end4 = 7 January 2019
| predecessor4 = [[Anisul Islam Mahmud]]
| successor4 = ''Vacant''

| office5 = [[Ministry of Environment and Forest (Bangladesh)|Minister of Environment and Forest]]
| term_start5 = 12 January 2014
| term_end5 = 3 January 2018
| successor5 = [[Anisul Islam Mahmud]]

| office6 = [[Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges|Minister of Road Transport and Bridges]]
| term_start6 = 23 June 1996
| term_end6 = 15 July 2001
| predecessor6 = [[Abdul Matin Chowdhury (politician)|Abdul Matin Chowdhury]]
| successor6 = [[Nazmul Huda]]
| primeminister6 = Sheikh Hasina

| term_start7 = 27 March 1988
| term_end7 = 6 December 1990
| predecessor7 = [[M. Motiur Rahman]]
| successor7 = [[Oli Ahmad]]
| president7 = [[Hussain Muhammad Ershad]]

| office8 = [[Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources|Minister of Energy and Mineral Resource]]
| term_start8 = 1985
| term_end8 = 1988
| president8 = Hussain Muhammad Ershad

| party = [[Jatiya Party (Manju)]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|02|09|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Pirojpur District]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|[[Georgetown University]]|[[University of Dhaka]]}}
| spouse = [[Tasmima Hossain]]<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-29099|title=Manju, his wife, Quader charged|date=24 March 2008|work=The Daily Star|language=en|access-date=4 April 2020}}</ref>
| relatives = [[Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury]] {{small|(son in law)}}
| children = Tareen Hossain {{small|(daughter)}}
}}
'''Anwar Hossain Manju''' (born 9 February 1944)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/mps/members-of-parliament/current-mp-s/list-of-11th-parliament-members-english?layout=edit&id=3688&csrt=9759104319307174374|title=Constituency 128_11th_En|website=Bangladesh Parliament|access-date=4 April 2020}}</ref> is a Bangladeshi politician and former journalist who is a former [[Jatiya Sangsad]] member representing [[Pirojpur-2]] constituency which consists of [[Kawkhali Upazila, Pirojpur|Kawkhali]], [[Bhandaria Upazila|Bhandaria]] and Zianagar [[upazila]]s until January 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ec.org.bd/NewsFilesEng/101.PDF|title=EC BD|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616074225/http://www.ec.org.bd/NewsFilesEng/101.PDF|archive-date=16 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was elected a member of Jatiya Sangsad a total of seven times.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/no-threat-sundarbans-1279330 |title=No threat to Sundarbans |work=The Daily Star |date=1 September 2016 |access-date=18 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anwar Hossain Manju faces first election defeat to ex-assistant Mahiuddin |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/politics/anwar-hossain-manju-faces-first-election-defeat-ex-assistant-mahiuddin-771230 |work=The Business Standard |date=7 January 2024 |language=en}}</ref> He is a former [[Ministry of Water Resources (Bangladesh)|Minister of Water Resources]], Minister of Communications as Communications Transport and [[Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources|Minister of Energy and Mineral Resource]].

==Early life==
Manju was born in the present-day [[Pirojpur District]] of Bangladesh. He is a graduate of the [[University of Dhaka]] where he completed his honors in geography with physics and mathematics. He pursued further studies in international relations at [[Georgetown University]] in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.moef.gov.bd/site/office_head/f3e62b7f-68b5-4499-82cb-26925d4b6ea2/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4|script-title=bn:মাননীয় মন্ত্রী|website=Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change |language=bn |access-date=18 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622005739/https://moef.gov.bd/site/office_head/f3e62b7f-68b5-4499-82cb-26925d4b6ea2/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4|archive-date=2016-06-22}}</ref>

==Career==
Manju was the minister of energy and mineral resource of Bangladesh from 1985 to 1988 under [[Hossain Mohammad Ershad]]. As Energy Minister, his achievements include the augmentation of energy generation from 700 to 2,500 megawatts, and the launching of the major public works project of the [[Jamuna Bridge]]. Hossain then served as [[Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology|Minister of Communications]] (1988–1990) for Ershad's government.

Manju was a vocal opponent of Ershad's introduction of religious references to the [[Constitution of Bangladesh]]. He objected to the declaration of Islam as the state religion of Bangladesh and warned that such an assault on secularism constitutes a slippery slope that would erode Bangladesh's successes as a progressive society. From 1996 to 2001, he served as Minister of Communications (1996–2001) in [[Sheikh Hasina]]'s government. Hossain negotiated [[Jatiya Party (Ershad)|Jatiya Party]]'s extension of support to Sheikh Hasina's party, the [[Awami League]], to form a national government. He is Chairman of Jatiya Party (JP-Manju). He led the faction of the Jatiya Party that rejected the 1994 decision of the Party leader Ershad to align the Party with [[Khaleda Zia]]'s [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party|Bangladesh National Party (BNP)]]. He was a Presidium Member of Jatiya Party (1986–1994).<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/rift-jp-widens-204361 |title=Rift in JP widens |work=The Daily Star |date=19 January 2016 |access-date=18 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Chowdhury |first=Kamran Reza |date=3 June 2013 |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/uncategorized/2013/06/03/chumki-paid-huge-price-in-politics |title=Chumki paid huge price in politics |work=Dhaka Tribune |access-date=18 September 2016}}</ref>

Manju's public service also include positions in the [[legislative branch of government]]. He served as Member of [[House of the Nation|Parliament]] in Bangladesh for five consecutive terms. He was elected five times to Parliament in 1986, 1988, 1991, 1996, and 2001 to represent the Bhandaria-Kaukhali constituency in the district of Pirojpur in the National Parliament. The mandate of the last Parliament expired in 2006, putting into place a [[caretaker government]] (CTG).

Manju served as the editor and publisher of ''[[The Daily Ittefaq]]'' from 1972 to 2007. The newspaper is the first Bangla vernacular newspaper founded by [[Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani]] and [[Yar Mohammad Khan]]. Meanwhile, [[Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah]] worked as an editor. Following an agreement with the other shareholders of Ittefaq, Manju assumed the position of editor and publisher in July 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=24666|title=Yet another may withdraw candidature|work=The Daily Star|access-date=18 September 2016|date=23 February 2008}}</ref> Manju is also a businessman. His enterprise positions include founder, the Aegis Holdings Group. He is also chairman of the board, MAST Packaging Ltd. & Zenith Packaging Ltd., one of the most notable packaging firms in Bangladesh with an international clientele including the [[British-American Tobacco Company]].

In a January 2018 cabinet reshuffle, he moved from the [[Ministry of Environment and Forest (Bangladesh)|Ministry of Environment and Forest]] to become the [[Ministry of Water Resources (Bangladesh)|Minister for Water Resources]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Manju goes to water, Anis to forest |url=https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/279637/Manju-goes-to-water-Anis-to-forest |work=Daily Sun |date=4 January 2018}}</ref>

==Charges and sentences==
In April 2007, as part of the caretaker government's anti-graft crackdown, National Board of Revenue (NBR) directed all the banks to submit transaction data of 71 individuals including Manju, his wife and his four daughters.<ref name=nbr>{{Cite news |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/04/16/d7041601011.htm|title=NBR seeks bank statement of 71|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2020-08-15|date=2007-04-16}}</ref> According to NBR, Manju bought a BMW using the parliamentarian membership privilege of importing duty-free cars.
<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/03/25/d7032501022.htm|title=NBR wants cancellation of duty-free car import by MPs|work=The Daily Star|access-date=18 September 2016|archive-date=19 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919074312/http://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/03/25/d7032501022.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 24 March 2008, Manju and his wife were charged by [[Anti-Corruption Commission (Bangladesh)|Anti-Corruption Commission]] (ACC) for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in their wealth statement. According to the complaint filed in October 2007, Manju owned property worth Tk 17.1 crore which was disproportionate to his income and he also had concealed information of wealth worth Tk 4.22 crore in the statement submitted to the ACC. Manju's wife was made an accused in the case for abetting her husband.<ref name=mar08>{{Cite news |date=2008-03-24|title=Manju, his wife, Quader charged|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-29099|access-date=2020-08-15|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

On 26 June 2007, Manju was sentenced to five years of imprisonment and fined Tk 10,000 for possessing 21 bottles of liquor at his Dhanmondi residence.<ref name=mar08/> Manju was sent to jail on surrender in a graft case.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-05-13|title=Nadim, Millat sent to jail on surrender|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-87987|access-date=2020-08-15|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

In August 2010, the High Court cleared the 13-year-jail term sentenced by the lower court and in November 2015, the Supreme Court upheld the decision.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-11-16|title=SC upholds acquittal of Manju|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/sc-upholds-acquittal-manju-173098|access-date=2020-08-15|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> A biographical detailed documentary film is made for Anwar Hossain Manju which is named as 'Iron Man' directed by Kamrul Hasan Nasim.

==Personal life==
Manju is married to Tasmima Hossain and has 4 daughters - Seema Hossain, Tareen Hossain, Anushay Hossain, and Maneeza Hossain.<ref name=nbr/>
<ref>{{Citation|title=anwar hossain manju|url=https://metrosports24.blogspot.com/2022/09/manju-shahidul-re-elected-chairman.html|language=en|access-date=2022-09-28}}</ref>

A documentary film, ''Iron Man'', was produced in 2020 depicting the life stories of Manju.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ittefaq.com.bd/200605/প্রামাণ্যচিত্রে-রাজনীতিক-আনোয়ার-হোসেন-মঞ্জু|title=প্রামাণ্যচিত্রে রাজনীতিক আনোয়ার হোসেন মঞ্জু|date=2020-11-20|accessdate=2024-09-03|work=Ittefaq}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manju, Anwar Hossain}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Bhandaria]]
[[Category:Politicians from Pirojpur District]]
[[Category:Notre Dame College, Dhaka alumni]]
[[Category:University of Dhaka alumni]]
[[Category:Georgetown University alumni]]
[[Category:Jatiya Party (Ershad) politicians]]
[[Category:3rd Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:4th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:5th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:7th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:8th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:10th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:11th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:Ministers of environment, forest and climate change of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Ministers of road transport and bridges of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Ministers of water resources of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Ministers of power, energy and mineral resources of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League central committee members]]

Anwar Hossain Manju - Revision history

हिन्दू at 22:24, 20 February 2026