33 Facts About Mahmudur Rahman

Mahmudur Rahman is the only person sentenced for contempt by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, with human rights groups labeling the government's actions against him as judicial harassment.

Mahmudur Rahman received his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering in 1977 from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

Mahmudur Rahman chaired Bangladesh's National Investment Board, boosting foreign investment significantly.

Mahmudur Rahman started his career as an operational engineer at British Oxygen, a major British-owned gas company.

Mahmudur Rahman worked in Monno Ceramics, Duncan Brothers, Shinepukur Ceramics, Beximco Group, and Padma Textile, including some years in Japan.

Mahmudur Rahman chaired the National Investment Board in Bangladesh from 2001, boosting foreign investment from $52 million to $460 million by 2004.

Mahmudur Rahman was appointed by the administration of Khaleda Zia as chair of the National Investment Board.

Mahmudur Rahman credited the opening of the power plant Meghna Energy Limited in Kanchpur, to the government's energy deregulation.

Between 2002 and 2003, foreign investment in Bangladesh increased from $52 million to US$121 million, an increase which Mahmudur Rahman said was the greatest in South Asia.

Mahmudur Rahman criticized both sides, saying that such political violence and unrest threatened much-needed foreign investment, and the government had to provide security.

Mahmudur Rahman offered his resignation in December 2004, reportedly over a dispute with officials in the Prime Minister's Office, but Zia declined to accept it.

Mahmudur Rahman continued in the post for the remainder of his "two-year contractual obligation".

Mahmudur Rahman's goal was to attract US$1 billion in investment to Bangladesh while in office.

In May 2005, Mahmudur Rahman announced a deal with the US company Vulcan Inc to invest $1.6 billion in new power and fertiliser plants, projected to increase Bangladesh's energy capacity by nearly 50 percent.

Mahmudur Rahman said they had made "disgraceful, false and fabricated statements".

In 2006, Mahmudur Rahman accused Burma and India of having encroached on thousands of square miles of Bangladeshi territorial waters for natural gas exploration.

Mahmudur Rahman was involved in talks between the government and India's Tata Group in early 2006 over a $300 million proposal to build steel and fertiliser factories, as well as a power plant.

In September 2005, Mahmudur Rahman announced a 16 percent increase in petrol prices to aid the government-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, due to the price increases for crude oil on world markets.

In June 2006, Mahmudur Rahman announced an additional one-third increase in petrol prices, as well as a 10 percent increase in diesel and kerosene prices, one of the largest fuel-price hikes in Bangladesh's history.

Mahmudur Rahman denied the charge, saying he was holding a "private party" for friends to see his new office.

In October 2008, shortly before the December election, Mahmudur Rahman filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission, against its chair General Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury.

Mahmudur Rahman accused the BNP appointee of having misappropriated 224.1 million taka in a money-laundering scheme.

In 2008, Mahmudur Rahman bought the ownership of the Bengali-language, daily newspaper Amar Desh, and was appointed acting editor.

On 28 December 2008, the day before national elections, an Awami League committee chairman accused Mahmudur Rahman of collaborating to print fake ballot papers with his presses in order for BNP supporters to rig the election.

On 17 June 2010, Mahmudur Rahman's attorneys released his statement asserting torture during police custody.

Mahmudur Rahman was acquitted of the other charges, a verdict upheld by the Appeals Court.

Mahmudur Rahman is the only person ever sentenced for contempt by the Bangladesh Supreme Court.

Mahmudur Rahman was an advisor in these matters in the last BNP government and his revelations are damaging for the government.

On 17 March 2011, Mahmudur Rahman was freed from prison.

Mahmudur Rahman's wife filed a petition asserting the police had tortured Mahmudur Rahman during the seven-day remand period related to sedition charges.

Representatives of the Awami League and those who opposed Mahmudur Rahman repeated accusations against him.

Mahmudur Rahman married Firoza Khan, the daughter of Harunur Rashid Khan Monno.

Mahmudur Rahman has written several books in both Bangla and English.