ATM Shamsul Haque

ATM Shamsul Haque was the Chairman, Public Administration Reform Commission (PARC), Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, from 1998-2001 with the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister. Before that he had taken voluntary retirement in 1993 from the post of Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh. He was the elected Director-General of the inter-governmental organisation CIRDAP for long eight years from 1984-1992. Shamsul Haque started his career as Lecturer, Dhaka University and joined the erstwhile CSP in 1960. As a member of the civil service, he worked as SDO, Tangail; DC, Barisal & Dhaka; and Secretary-in-charge, Ministries of Information & Broadcasting, Textile, Rural Development & Co-operatives, and Food. He was Chairman, BTMC from 1976-1978 and had a stint as Member, Planning Commission. Haque Practised in the High Court as an Advocate from 1993-1998. He joined politics on retirement from government service and was active till the General Elections of 1 October 2001. Shamsul Haque had his education at home in Comilla Zilla School, Dhaka College and Dhaka University and obtained the degrees of BA (Hons) in Economics, MA in International Relations and LLB. Abroad he studied at the University of Cambridge. He attended the Australian Administrative Staff College in 1979. Haque was the General Secretary of the Dhaka College Students’ Union (1951-52) and has the unique distinction of being both the General Secretary (1955-56) and Vice-President (1956-57) of the SM Hall Students’ Union. Shamsul Haque has travelled widely and participated in numerous international conferences, seminars and workshops. He was the president of SID, Bangladesh Chapter for a number of years. Born in 1937 in Comilla, he now lives with his wife in Dhaka