Shahjahan Omar | |
---|---|
শাহজাহান ওমর | |
Minister of State for Law, Justice and Parlimemtary Affairs of Bangladesh | |
In office 7 April 2003 – 29 October 2006 | |
Prime Minister | Khaleda Zia |
Preceded by | Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan |
Member of the Bangladesh Parliament for Jhalokati-1 | |
Assumed office 10 January 2024 | |
Preceded by | Bazlul Haque Haroon |
In office 5 March 1991 – 30 March 1996 | |
Preceded by | Jahangir Kabir |
Succeeded by | Bazlul Haque Haroon |
In office 28 October 2001 – 27 October 2006 | |
Preceded by | Anwar Hossain Manju |
Personal details | |
Born | Rajapur, Bakerganj, East Bengal, Pakistan (now, Barisal, Bangladesh) | 24 December 1947
Political party |
|
Awards | Bir Uttom[1] |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Pakistan (Before 1971) Bangladesh |
Branch/service | Pakistan Army Bangladesh Army |
Years of service | 1967 - 1983 |
Rank | Major |
Unit | Judge Advocate General |
Commands |
|
Battles/wars | Bangladesh Liberation War |
Shahjahan Omar (born 24 December 1947)[2] is a Bangladeshi politician and a former state minister for law.[3] He is retired major of the Bangladesh Army and was awarded Bir Uttom.[4][5] He is a 4 term Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Jhalokati-1 constituency as a member of Bangladesh Awami League.
Omar was born on 24 December 1947 to Lalmon Habib (d. 2006).[6] He worked as a barrister.[2] After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he pledged allegiance to the new government led by Bangladesh Army officers.[7]
Omar was elected to the parliament as a candidate of Bangladesh Nationalist Party from Jhalokati-1 in 2001.[8] He served as the State Minister of Law in the Second Khaleda Cabinet.[9] In 2001 his supporters attacked minority Hindu populations in Jhalakati-1 to intimidate them from voting against him.[10]
On 27 October 2007, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sued Omar on corruption charges. On 14 May 2008, he was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment by a special court in Dhaka. Bangladesh High Court acquitted him in August 2010. In September 2014, Bangladesh Supreme Court allowed ACC to start the process to appeal the High Court verdict.[11]
Omar served as the vice-chairman of BNP. He resigned from the party on 30 November 2023 and, on the same day, earned the nomination from the arch-rival Awami League party to compete as a candidate for the membership of the Jhalokati-1 constituency at the 2024 Bangladeshi general election.[12][13] Later, he was expelled from all the BNP posts.[14]
Omar is married to Mehjabin Farzana Omar, and they have a son, Adnan Omar.[3]