Seven-time MP Hafiz Uddin now to preside over 13th Parliament

Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikram), Minister for Liberation War Affairs and seven-time Member of Parliament, has been elected Speaker of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, bringing decades of political experience to the helm of the new parliament.

Hafiz Uddin, elected from Bhola-3, has served in multiple ministerial roles, including Commerce, Jute, and Water Resources, and has held senior party positions such as Vice-Chairman of the BNP Central Committee. He is currently a member of the party’s highest policy-making forum, the National Standing Committee.

A celebrated former footballer and decorated freedom fighter, Hafiz Uddin was awarded the nation’s third-highest gallantry award, Bir Bikram, for his extraordinary contributions during the Liberation War.

His career is marked by remarkable achievements, including his leadership as captain of the then Pakistan national football team, repeated recognition as the fastest man in East Pakistan from 1964, and a family legacy of public service, with his father Dr. Azhar Uddin having been elected twice to the Pakistan Provincial Assembly.

Hafiz Uddin entered politics with popular support, winning the Bhola-3 seat in 1986 and 1988 as a Jatiya Party candidate. In the 1991 Fifth National Parliament elections, he secured a decisive victory as an independent candidate, defeating both Awami League and BNP contenders, before joining BNP in 1992.

Representing BNP, he was elected in the Sixth and Seventh Parliaments, serving as State Minister for Commerce in the Sixth Parliament. During the Eighth Parliament, he held portfolios as Minister of Jute (2001–2003) and Minister of Water Resources (2003–2006) in Khaleda Zia’s third cabinet.

A veteran politician, Hafiz Uddin has also held key party positions, including Vice-Chairman of the BNP Central Committee, and is currently a member of the party’s highest policy-making forum, the National Standing Committee. Following the 2024 mass uprising, he played a pivotal role in strengthening the BNP organisation in Lalmonirhat-Tajumuddin.

At 81, Hafiz Uddin continues to play an active role in national politics, now officially presiding over the first session of the 13th parliament and steering the legislative agenda with his extensive experience.