Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar

Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, also known as C. R. Abrar, is a retired professor of International relations of the University of Dhaka, human rights activist, and executive director of Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit.^[1][2][3] He is the president of Odhikar, a human rights organization. On March 5, 2025, he was appointed as the Adviser to the Ministry of Education in the interim government of Bangladesh.^[4]

Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar
Adviser for Education
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 March 2025
President	Mohammed Shahabuddin
Chief Adviser	Muhammad Yunus
Preceded by	Wahiduddin Mahmud
Personal details
Born	(1952-08-17) 17 August 1952 (age 72) Faridpur, East Bengal, Pakistan
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Alma mater	St. Gregory's High School Mirzapur Cadet College University of Dhaka University of Sussex Griffith University
Occupation	Professor

Early life

Rafiqul Abrar studied in St. Gregory's High School till class 8 and completed Matriculation and Intermediate from Mirzapur Cadet College. He Completed his bachelor from the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka and master's from the University of Sussex.^[2] He completed his PhD from the Griffith University.^[2][5]

Career

Rafiqul Abrar founded the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit in 1995 along with Tasneem Arefa Siddiqui, Shahdeen Malik, Sumaiya Khair, and Yasmin Ali Haque.^[6][1]

Rafiqul Abrar wrote Aid, Development and Diplomacy in 1999.^[7] He coedited Towards National Refugee Laws in South Asia with Shahdeen Malik and published in 2000.^[8]

Rafiqul Abrar led a discussion on Ustad Alauddin Khan and Ustad Ayet Ali Khan organised by Ustad Ayet Ali Khan Sangeet Niketan and Mobarak Hossain Khan and attended by Professor Jahanara Begum, advisor to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.^[9]

Rafiqul Abrar had called for the Digital Security Act to be repealed at an event by Nagorik in April 2023.^[10] He has spoken for the rights of Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh.^[5] He has claimed both China and the United States have almost the same policy when it comes to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.^[11] He said the government of Bangladesh should claim responsibility of Rohingya people who flew to Saudi Arabia using Bangladeshi passports but was also critical of Saudi Arabia for pressuring Bangladesh regarding repatriating the refugees.^[12] He has written about victims of Enforced disappearance in Bangladesh.^[13]

Rafiqul Abrar has been critical of the Indian politicians and medias reaction to the fall of the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.^[14] He described it as prejudiced.^[14]