Zahid Maleque
{{Short description|Bangladeshi politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Zahid Maleque
| native_name = জাহিদ মালেক
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = Zahid Maleque 2021.jpg
| caption = Maleque in 2021
| office2 = Member of Parliament
| constituency2 = Manikganj-3
| term_start2 = 25 January 2009
| term_end2 = 6 August 2024
| predecessor2 = Harunur Rashid Khan Monno
| successor2 = Vacant
| office1 = Minister of Health and Family Welfare
| term_start1 = 7 January 2019
| term_end1 = 10 January 2024
| primeminister1 = Sheikh Hasina
| predecessor1 = Mohammed Nasim
| successor1 = Samanta Lal Sen
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|04|11|df=y}}
| birth_place = Manikganj, East Pakistan, Pakistan
| party = Bangladesh Awami League
| nationality = Bangladeshi
}}
Zahid Maleque (born 11 April 1959) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a former minister of health and family welfare.{{cite news |title=Tongi disaster exposes a weakness in Bangladesh's health sector |url=https://bdnews24.com/health/tongi-disaster-exposes-a-weakness-in-bangladeshs-health-sector |work=bdnews24.com |date=10 September 2016 |access-date=14 September 2016}} He is a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Manikganj-3 constituency during 2009–2024.{{Cite web |url=http://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/get-involved/contact-an-mp?layout=edit&id=3730 |title=Constituency 170_11th_En |website=Bangladesh Parliament |access-date=2019-09-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006070902/http://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/get-involved/contact-an-mp?layout=edit&id=3730 |archive-date=6 October 2019}}
In 2016, Maleque received WHO award on behalf of the health ministry for reducing child mortality.{{cite news |title=Bangladesh gets UN recognition |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/bangladesh-gets-un-recognition-1282585 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=14 September 2016 |date=7 September 2016}}{{cite news |title=Calls to regulate Horlicks advertisements in Bangladesh maligning breastfeeding campaign |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/calls-to-regulate-horlicks-advertisements-in-bangladesh-maligning-breastfeeding-campaign |work=bdnews24.com |date=19 August 2016 |access-date=14 September 2016}} He has faced criticism over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.{{Cite news |date=2020-06-30 |title=MPs denounce health minister in parliament, demand his removal |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/coronavirus-deadly-new-threat/news/mps-denounce-health-minister-parliament-demand-his-removal-1922925 |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2020-06-23 |title=BNP MP demands removal of health minister |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/bnp-mp-harunur-rashid-demands-removal-health-minister-1919245 |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2020-06-30 |title=Opposition MPs slam health minister, demand removal from office |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/parliament/2020/06/30/opposition-mps-slam-health-minister-demand-removal-from-office |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=Dhaka Tribune}}
Early life
Maleque was born on 11 April 1959 in Garpara Union, Manikganj Sadar Upazila, Manikgonj District in the then East Pakistan.{{Cite web |url=https://www.amarmp.com/mp/588/biography |title=Zahid Maleque -জাহিদ মালেক Biography |website=Amarmp |language=en-US |access-date=2018-07-24}} 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.{{Cite web |url=http://reflectionnews.com/zahid-maleque-mpchairman-bta-group/ |title=Zahid Maleque, MP, Chairman, BTA Group |website=reflectionnews.com |language=en-US |access-date=2018-07-24}}
Career
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.
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.{{Cite web |date=2008-12-29 |title=Parliament Election Result of 1991, 1996, 2001 Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics |url=http://votemonitor.net/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=174 |access-date=2021-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229002512/http://votemonitor.net/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=174 |archive-date=2008-12-29}}
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.{{Cite web |title=Bangladesh Parliament Election - Detail Results |url=http://amardesh.com/EADetailsYear.php?sol=161&Year=2008 |access-date=2021-05-18 |website=Amar Desh |archive-date=2021-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518065528/http://amardesh.com/EADetailsYear.php?sol=161&Year=2008 |url-status=dead}}
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.{{Cite news |title=AL closer to majority before voting |url=http://archive.newagebd.net/260342/al-closer-to-majority-before-voting/ |work=New Age |access-date=2021-05-18 |language=en-GB |archive-date=2021-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503164909/http://archive.newagebd.net/260342/al-closer-to-majority-before-voting/ |url-status=dead}}
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.{{Cite news |date=2018-12-17 |title=BNP's Manikganj-3 candidate cannot contest polls |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh-national-election-2018/bnp-candidate-afroza-khan-rita-manikganj-3-cannot-contest-in-11th-general-election-2018-1674928 |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} Afroza Khan Rita is the daughter of Harunur Rashid Khan Monno.{{Cite news |date=2017-08-01 |title=BNP's Haruner Rashid Monno passes away |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/bnp-leader-haruner-rashid-khan-monno-passes-away-1441978 |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} He received 220 thousand votes while his nearest rival, Mifizul Islam Khan Kamal from Gono Forum, received 29 thousand votes.{{Cite news |date=2018-11-25 |title=Manikganj-3 - Constituency detail of Bangladesh General Election 2018 |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh-national-election-2018/seats?s=Manikganj-3&d=dhaka |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
On 23 March 2020, Maleque reported that the government had enough protective gear and testing kits for the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.{{Cite news |date=2020-03-23 |title=Govt has adequate testing kits, protective gear: health minister |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/govt-has-adequate-testing-kits-protective-gear-health-minister-1884790 |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Maleque was criticised in a session at the parliament of Bangladesh on 30 June 2020. Member of Parliament Pir Fazlur Rahman called for his removal and replacement by Matia Chowdhury. Mujibul Haque Chunnu, member of parliament, criticised his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. 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. 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.{{Cite news |date=2020-07-14 |title=DGHS, health ministry not at loggerheads: Zahid Maleque |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/dghs-health-ministry-not-loggerheads-zahid-maleque-1930261 |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2020-07-14 |title=Zahid Maleque: DGHS, Health Ministry not at loggerheads |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2020/07/14/zahid-maleque-dghs-health-ministry-not-at-loggerheads |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=Dhaka Tribune}}
On 12 December 2020, Maleque reported that the government has spent 400 thousand taka per patient of COVID-19.{{Cite news |date=2020-12-12 |title='Govt has spent Tk 4 lakh per Covid patient in ICU' |url=http://www.tbsnews.net/coronavirus-chronicle/covid-19-bangladesh/govt-has-spent-tk-4-lakh-covid-patient-icu-170785 |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Business Standard |language=en}} He issued a statement on 30 December 2020 that the COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh was under control.{{Cite news |date=2020-12-20 |title=Country's economic situation now good as coronavirus is under control: Health minister |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh-economic-situation-now-good-coronavirus-under-control-2014289 |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
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.{{Cite news |date=2021-03-09 |title=Pandemic exposed inherent weaknesses: health minister |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/pandemic-exposed-inherent-weaknesses-2057373 |access-date=2021-05-18 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
References
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External links
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Category:People from Manikganj District
Category:Politicians from Dhaka Division
Category:Awami League politicians
Category:State ministers of health and family welfare of Bangladesh
Category:Health and Family Welfare ministers of Bangladesh
Category:9th Jatiya Sangsad members
Category:10th Jatiya Sangsad members