Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar

Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar
চৌধুরী রফিকুল আবরার
Abrar in 2025
Adviser for Education
In office
5 March 2025 – 17 February 2026
Chief AdviserMuhammad Yunus
Preceded byWahiduddin Mahmud
Succeeded byA. N. M. Ehsanul Hoque Milan
Personal details
Born (1952-08-17) 17 August 1952
Faridpur, East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan
SpouseTasneem Arefa Siddiqui
Parents
  • Abdus Sattar Chowdhury (father)
  • Sofia Sultana (mother)
Alma mater
OccupationProfessor

Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar (born 17 August 1952) 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]

Early life

Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar was born on 17 August 1952 in Faridpur in the then East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan to Abdus Sattar Chowdhury and Sofia Sultana.[5] The family belongs to the Amirabad Estate, Faridpur. 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][6]

Career

Abrar founded the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit in 1995 along with Tasneem Arefa Siddiqui, Shahdeen Malik, Sumaiya Khair, and Yasmin Ali Haque.[7][1]

Abrar wrote Aid, Development and Diplomacy in 1999.[8] He coedited Towards National Refugee Laws in South Asia with Shahdeen Malik and published in 2000.[9]

Abrar led a discussion on Ustad Allauddin 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.[10]

Abrar had called for the Digital Security Act to be repealed at an event by Nagorik in April 2023.[11] He has spoken for the rights of Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh.[6] He has claimed both China and the United States have almost the same policy when it comes to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.[12] 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.[13] He has written about victims of Enforced disappearance in Bangladesh.[14]

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.[15] He described it as prejudiced.[15]

Personal life

Abrar is married to Tasneem Arefa Siddiqui, a Bangladeshi academic, professor of political science at the University of Dhaka and a daughter of writer and poet Ashraf Siddiqui.[16][17]

References

  1. 1 2 "RMMRU Team | Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit". Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  2. 1 2 3 "Author Page". The University Press Limited. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  3. ↑ Rafiqul Abrar, C. (2023-12-10). "Human rights enjoyment in a red zone?". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  4. ↑ "Prof CR Abrar set to become education adviser". The Business Standard. 2025-03-04. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  5. ↑ "CR Abrar sworn in as interim govt adviser". Dhaka Tribune. 2025-03-05. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  6. 1 2 Zaman Khan (2019-03-28). "'A forsaken minority': Dr Rafiqul Abrar on stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh". Medium. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  7. ↑ "About Us". Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  8. ↑ "Aid, Development and Diplomacy". The University Press Limited. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  9. ↑ Rahim, Naureen (2022-08-11). "Book Review: Towards National Refugee Laws in South Asia by C R Abrar and Shahdeen Malik (eds)". Dhaka Law Review. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  10. ↑ Kamol, Ershad (18 September 2005). "Ustad Alauddin Khan and Ustad Ayet Ali Khan remembered". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  11. ↑ "Repeal DSA as it targets critical, dissenting voices: Nagorik". New Age. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  12. ↑ Zakaria, A. K. M. (2022-01-16). "'China and the US have almost the same position on the Rohingya question'". Prothomalo. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  13. ↑ "Why Bangladesh is in a fix over Rohingya repatriation – DW – 01/15/2021". dw.com. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  14. ↑ রফিকুল আবরার, চৌধুরী (2021-08-30). "ফুল কিনতে গিয়ে আর ফিরলেন না!". The Daily Star Bangla. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  15. 1 2 Rafiqul Abrar, C. (2024-08-18). "Canards of a prejudiced neighbour". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  16. ↑ "CR Abrar 'next education adviser'". The Daily Star. 2025-03-04. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  17. ↑ "Tasneem Siddiqui: A visionary, dynamic, and innovative academic leader". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
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