Chancellor

Md. Zillur Rahman

Hon'ble President, People's Republic of Bangladesh

Honorabl e President Md. Zillur Rahman is the Chancellor of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. Chancellor Zillur Rahman was born in a respectable Muslim family under Bhairab Thana of Kishoreganj district on March 09, 1929. His father late Meher Ali Mian was a renowned lawyer, the Chairman of the then Mymensingh Local Board and the Member of the District Board.

Chancellor started his academic life at the district town of Mymensingh. He passed Matriculation from Bhairab K. B. High School in 1945 and obtained Intermediate of Arts (I. A.) certificate from Dhaka Intermediate College. In 1954, he got his M.A. with Honors in History and L. L. B. degree from the University of Dhaka.

Chancellor Mr. Rahman played an active role in the great Language Movement in 1952. He presided over a student gathering held in the historic Amtala (Mango grove) of Dhaka University on 19 February 1952 on demand of Bangla as the State Language. The work plan of 21 February was taken from here. Chancellor was one of the prominent leaders among the 11 student-leaders who met at the pond-side between Fazlul Huq Hall and Dhaka Hall on 20 February 1952 and took decision to break the section144.

Chancellor Mr. Rahman came in close touch with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during his study in Dhaka Intermediate College in 1946, when he was engaged in publicity work on referendum in Sylhet during the British regime. He took part in all mass-movements including the movement against military rule in 1962, six-point movement in 1966 and mass-upsurge in 1969 as a close associate of the Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In 1970, he was elected Member of the National Assembly (M. N. A.) of Pakistan.

In 1972, after the Independence, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was elected as the President while Mr. Md. Zillur Rahman was elected as the General-Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League. He re-elected as the General-Secretary of the Party in 1974. He was the first General Secretary of Bangladesh Krishok Sramik Awami League in 1975. After the brutal assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family in 1975, he was kept in prison for 4 years. In 1981, after the return of Sheikh Hasina, the elder daughter of Bangabandhu, from abroad to motherland, Mr. Zillur Rahman played important role as Presidium Member of Bangladesh Awami League. He was imprisoned again in 1986 while he was a Member of Parliament. He was elected as General-Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League both in 1992 and in 1997. 

Chancellor Md. Zillur Rahman sworn in of the office of the President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on 12 February 2009 as the 19^th President.