AKM Jalaluddin

AKM Jalaluddin
এ কে এম জালালউদ্দিন
Ambassador of Bangladesh to Nepal
In office
17 August 1987 – 19 May 1989
Preceded byAbdul Bari
Succeeded bySyed Muhammad Hussain
Personal details
Born1942/1943
Faridpur, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died (aged 71)
Mohammadpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Alma mater
OccupationCivil servant, diplomat, academic

AKM Jalaluddin (1942/1943 – 19 August 2014) was a Bangladeshi civil servant, diplomat, and academic. He was the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Nepal and the Principal of the Foreign Service Academy.[1][2][3] He battled Parkinson’s disease for over three decades until his death.

Early life and education

Jalaluddin was born in Faridpur, where he attended Faridpur Zilla School.[4] In the 1958 Matriculation Examination under the Dacca Board, he secured seventh place.[4] He later ranked first in the Intermediate examination.[5][4] At the University of Dhaka, he initially studied economics but later switched to international relations, earning his master’s degree with first-class first honours and record marks.[4] A resident of Salimullah Muslim Hall, he was elected Assistant General Secretary of the hall’s student union.[4] He was also awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal for his essay *Responsibility of Leadership*.[6][4]

Career

Before entering government service, Jalaluddin worked as a journalist.[4] He was a correspondent for the now-defunct Morning News.[4][7] He was a founding member of the Dhaka University Journalists' Association.[8] He later served as a lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the University of Dhaka.[9][4]

In 1965, he passed the Central Superior Services examination, placing first among Bengali candidates and second overall.[4] He joined the civil service in 1966, training at the Civil Service Academy in Lahore alongside a cohort that included future high-ranking officials such as Mohammad Farashuddin, AHM Mofazzal Karim, and ATM Shamsul Huda.[4]

Jalaluddin served as Sub-Divisional Officer in Chandpur and Vehari, and as Additional Deputy Commissioner in Multan.[4] As Deputy Commissioner in Mymensingh,[10] he played a key role in establishing the Zainul Abedin Art Gallery on the banks of the Brahmaputra.[4] He was later appointed Governor of Rangpur District under a new administrative framework of BAKSAL.[11][4]

After the events of 1975, Jalaluddin transitioned to the Ministry of Local Government and pursued doctoral studies at the Department of Demography at the Australian National University.[4][12][13] It was during this period that he first showed symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.[4]

After returning from Australia, Jalaluddin rejoined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[4] He served in various diplomatic roles, including postings in Paris and as principal of the Foreign Service Academy.[4] He was the principal of the academy from 1984 to 1985.[14][15] He was the minister at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Paris.[16] He served as the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Nepal from 17 August 1987 to 19 May 1989.[4][17] Toward the end of his career, he also served in the Ministry of Industries as an additional secretary,[18] and the Prime Minister's Office.[4]

Illness and death

Despite his illness, Jalaluddin remained intellectually active, collecting research on Parkinson’s disease and jokingly referring to it as his second PhD.[4] He died on 19 August 2014 in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.[19] He was buried at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard.[19]

References

  1. ^ "Roll of Honour". Bangladesh National Portal.
  2. ^ Nepal Press Digest. Regmi Research Project. 1987. p. 258.
  3. ^ From SARC to SAARC: 1983-1989. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. 1988. p. 86.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "AKM Jalaluddin: A scholar and mentor". The Daily Star. 2015-04-02. Archived from the original on 2024-12-15. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  5. ^ "DU students of the early 1960s -". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  6. ^ Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan. Pakistan Herald Publications. February 1965. p. 43.
  7. ^ "Exciting days as cub reporter: The time in the erstwhile Pakistan Observer in 1960-63 -". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  8. ^ "Reporting as university correspondent". The Daily Star. 5 August 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  9. ^ Dacca, University of (1966). Report - University of Dacca. p. 57.
  10. ^ Mahmud, Firoz (1987). The Museums in Bangladesh. Bangla Academy. p. 213.
  11. ^ Ullāha, Māhaphuja (2002). Press Under Mujib Regime. Kakali Prokashani. p. 158. ISBN 978-984-437-289-4.
  12. ^ Caldwell, John C. (2007-09-21). Demographic Transition Theory. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-4020-4498-4.
  13. ^ Pillai, Vijayan; Shannon, Lyle (2024-11-01). Developing Areas: A Book of Readings and Research. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-040-27837-6.
  14. ^ "List of Principals". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  15. ^ "ফরেন সার্ভিস একাডেমি, বাংলাদেশ". fsa.gov.bd. Archived from the original on 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  16. ^ JPRS Report: Near East & South Asia. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 1987. p. 58.
  17. ^ "List of ambassadors of Bangladesh to Nepal". embassies.info. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  18. ^ Bangladesh Quarterly. Department of Films & Publications, Government of Bangladesh. July 1995. p. 11.
  19. ^ a b "AKM Jalal Uddin". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
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