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Zahid Maleque

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Zahid Maleque
জাহিদ মালেক
Maleque in 2021
Minister of Health and Family Welfare
In office
7 January 2019 – 10 January 2024
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Preceded byMohammed Nasim
Succeeded bySamanta Lal Sen
Member of Parliament
In office
25 January 2009 – 6 August 2024
Preceded byHarunur Rashid Khan Monno
Succeeded byVacant
ConstituencyManikganj-3
Personal details
Born (1959-04-11) 11 April 1959 (age 65)
Manikganj, East Pakistan, Pakistan
NationalityBangladeshi
Political partyBangladesh Awami League

Zahid Maleque (born 11 April 1959) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a former minister of health and family welfare.[1] He is a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Manikganj-3 constituency during 2009–2024.[2]

In 2016, Maleque received WHO award on behalf of the health ministry for reducing child mortality.[3][4] He has faced criticism over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.[5][6][7]

Early life

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Maleque was born on 11 April 1959 in Garpara Union, Manikganj Sadar Upazila, Manikgonj District in the then East Pakistan.[8] He completed his undergrad and postgrad in English from the University of Dhaka. His parents were Colonel M. A. Maleque and Fouzia Maleque. His father was a former minister, a former mayor of Dhaka, and member of parliament.[9]

Career

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Maleque is the chairman of Sun Life Insurance Company Limited, Bangladesh Thai Aluminium Limited, World Wide Enterprise Limited, Rahat Real Estate and Construction Limited and Pristine Color Limited.[9]

Maleque contested the general election in 2001 from Manikganj-3 as a candidate of the Awami League and lost to Harunur Rashid Khan Monno of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[10]

Maleque contested the general election in 2008 from Manikganj-3 as a candidate of the Awami League and won, defeating Harunur Rashid Khan Monno of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[11]

Maleque was re-elected unopposed from Manikganj-3 in the 2014 general election as a candidate of the Awami League. The election was boycotted by all other major political parties.[12]

Maleque was re-elected from Manikganj-3 in the 2018 general election as a candidate of the Awami League. His opponent, Afroza Khan Rita, from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was barred from standing by the Bangladesh Supreme Court after Sonali Bank Limited claimed she defaulted on an 18 billion taka loan from the bank.[13] Afroza Khan Rita is the daughter of Harunur Rashid Khan Monno.[14] He received 220 thousand votes while his nearest rival, Mifizul Islam Khan Kamal from Gono Forum, received 29 thousand votes.[15]

On 23 March 2020, Maleque reported that the government had enough protective gear and testing kits for the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.[16]

Maleque was criticised in a session at the parliament of Bangladesh on 30 June 2020.[5] Member of Parliament Pir Fazlur Rahman called for his removal and replacement by Matia Chowdhury.[5] Mujibul Haque Chunnu, member of parliament, criticised his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.[5] He said that health workers in his constituency got infected with COVID-19 after receiving poor quality protective equipment. Members of parliament Rowshan Ara Mannan and Harunur Rashid also criticised him in the parliamentary session.[5] On 14 July 2020, he denied there were any tensions between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Directorate General of Health Services.[17][18]

On 12 December 2020, Maleque reported that the government has spent 400 thousand taka per patient of COVID-19.[19] He issued a statement on 30 December 2020 that the COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh was under control.[20]

On 9 March 2021, Maleque said that the pandemic exposed the weakness of the healthcare system in Bangladesh. He also claimed that the government of Bangladesh reacted quickly to the pandemic.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Tongi disaster exposes a weakness in Bangladesh's health sector". bdnews24.com. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Constituency 170_11th_En". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Bangladesh gets UN recognition". The Daily Star. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Calls to regulate Horlicks advertisements in Bangladesh maligning breastfeeding campaign". bdnews24.com. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e "MPs denounce health minister in parliament, demand his removal". The Daily Star. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  6. ^ "BNP MP demands removal of health minister". The Daily Star. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Opposition MPs slam health minister, demand removal from office". Dhaka Tribune. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Zahid Maleque -জাহিদ মালেক Biography". Amarmp. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Zahid Maleque, MP, Chairman, BTA Group". reflectionnews.com. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Parliament Election Result of 1991, 1996, 2001 Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics". 29 December 2008. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Bangladesh Parliament Election - Detail Results". Amar Desh. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  12. ^ "AL closer to majority before voting". New Age. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  13. ^ "BNP's Manikganj-3 candidate cannot contest polls". The Daily Star. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  14. ^ "BNP's Haruner Rashid Monno passes away". The Daily Star. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Manikganj-3 - Constituency detail of Bangladesh General Election 2018". The Daily Star. 25 November 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Govt has adequate testing kits, protective gear: health minister". The Daily Star. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  17. ^ "DGHS, health ministry not at loggerheads: Zahid Maleque". The Daily Star. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Zahid Maleque: DGHS, Health Ministry not at loggerheads". Dhaka Tribune. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  19. ^ "'Govt has spent Tk 4 lakh per Covid patient in ICU'". The Business Standard. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  20. ^ "Country's economic situation now good as coronavirus is under control: Health minister". The Daily Star. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Pandemic exposed inherent weaknesses: health minister". The Daily Star. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
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