Abdul Malek Ukil

Abdul Malek Ukil (Bengali: আব্দুল মালেক উকিল; 1 October 1924 – 17 October 1987) was the president of Bangladesh Awami League, Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, a Member of Parliament for many years and a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He was one of the drafters of the Constitution of Bangladesh and also one of the founding members of East Bengal Muslim Students League.

Abdul Malek Ukil
আব্দুল মালেক উকিল
3rd Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad
In office 27 January 1974 – 6 November 1975
Preceded by	Mohammad Mohammadullah
Succeeded by	Mirza Ghulam Hafiz
Minister of Home Affairs
In office 16 January 1973 – 1 February 1974
Preceded by	Abdul Mannan
Succeeded by	Muhammad Mansur Ali
Minister of Health and Family Welfare
In office 13 April 1972 – 16 March 1973
Preceded by	Zahur Ahmad Chowdhury
Succeeded by	Abdul Mannan
7th President of Awami League
In office 16 February 1978 – 16 February 1981
General Secretary	Abdur Razzaq
Preceded by	Syeda Zohra Tajuddin (Convenor)
Succeeded by	Sheikh Hasina
Member of Parliament
In office 7 May 1986 – 17 October 1987
Preceded by	K. M. Hossain
Succeeded by	Fazle Elahi
Constituency	Noakhali-4
In office 7 March 1973 – 6 November 1975
Preceded by	Position Established
Succeeded by	Shafiq Ullah
Constituency	Noakhali-12
Member of Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh
In office 10 April 1972 – 16 December 1972
Preceded by	Position Established
Succeeded by	Position Abolished
Personal details
Born	1 October 1924 Noakhali, Bengal, British India
Died	17 October 1987(1987-10-17) (aged 63) Dhaka, Bangladesh
Citizenship	British India (till 1947) Pakistan (till 1971) Bangladesh
Political party	Awami League
Spouse	Late Sabura Khatun
Children	7
Alma mater	University of Dhaka

Early life

Abdul Malek Ukil was born in Rajapur village of Noakhali Sadar Upazila in Noakhali District.^[1] His educational life began at Noakhali Ahmadia High Madrasa, from where he passed his Madrasa Examination with general scholarship and a Letter in mathematics. In the year 1947 he passed his Intermediate of Arts Examination from the Magura College in Jessore District. Two years later, in 1949, he completed B.A. from the Dhaka University in Political Science. The following year, he received his M.A. degree and completed LL.B from the same institution in 1952.^[1] He started his professional career as an advocate at Noakhali District Bar in 1952. Subsequently, in 1962 he became a member of the Dhaka High Court Bar.

Career

Abdul Malek Ukil with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, M. A. G. Osmani, and Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury

Malek Ukil was a founding member of East Bengal Muslim Student League. From 1964 to 1972 he was the president of Noakhali district Awami League and a member of the central executive committee of Awami League. In 1966 he presided over a conference of the opposition parties in Pakistan which was held in Lahore. He was elected three times to the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly in 1956, 1962 and 1965. He was the leader of both the Awami League parliamentary party and the combined opposition party in the Provincial Assembly of East Pakistan in 1965.^[1]

He was arrested during the Six-Point Movement. In the 1970 general election of Pakistan he was elected to the Pakistan National Assembly as the representative of Noakhali. After the start of Bangladesh Liberation War he joined the Relief and Rehabilitation Committee in the Mujibnagar Government. He went to Nepal as a part of a parliamentary delegation sent to generate support for Bangladesh's cause.^[1]

He was a member of the committee which drafted the Constitution of Bangladesh. In 1972 he was in charge of the Ministry of Health and Family Planning in the Sheikh Mujib cabinet. In 1973 he was again elected to the Jatiya Sangsad. He went on to become the minister in charge of home affairs in the cabinet after the election. In 1975 he was elected Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad. He was next elected to the Jatiya Sangsad in 1986 and became the deputy leader of the opposition.^[1]

Personal life

He was married to Sabura Khatun (1930–2019). They had two sons: Gulam Mohiuddin Latu and Baharuddin Khelon and five daughters: Fatema Begum (Ruby), Amena Begum (Baby), Nurun Nahar (Lily), Nurunnesa (Maya) and Lima Malek.^[1]

Death

On 17 October 1987, he died in Dhaka Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital at the age of 63.

Controversy

After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975, Abdul Malek Ukil, then speaker of parliament dominated by the Awami League, said in London in September 1975, "The Pharaoh has fallen. The country has been freed from the autocrat."^[2]