Mahmudul Hasan (general)

Major General Mahmudul Hasan (Bengali: মাহমুদুল হাসান; 1 March 1936 – 31 December 2025) was a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician and the former Home Minister and five time member of parliament from Tangail-5.

He was born on 1 March 1936 in Tangail Sadar Upazila, Tangail District, Bengal Presidency, British India (now Bangladesh). He completed his bachelor's in science in 1956. Later he obtained an engineering degree.^[2]

Mahmudul Hasan was commissioned on 13 June 1959 in the Corps of Engineers of the Pakistan Army. He reached the rank of Major in Pakistan Army. After the Independence of Bangladesh, Mahmudul joined the Bangladesh Army. His first posting was as Commanding Officer of 1st Engineer Battalion. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 15 May 1974. Later he served as the Commanding Officer of 3rd and 8th Engineer Battalion. On 14 May 1977, he was promoted to Colonel and was appointed Station Commander of Dhaka Cantonment and Commander of 14th Independent Engineers Brigade. He was promoted to Brigadier on 2nd December 1978. On 20 August 1980, he was appointed Commander, Logistics Area, Bangladesh Army. He was made the Engineer-in-Chief of Bangladesh Army on 13 April 1982, He was promoted to Major General on 10 May 1982. He served there till 6 July 1986. He retired from Bangladesh Army as a Major General.^[3] He served in the cabinet of President Hossain Mohammad Ershad as the Home Minister.^[4]

He took additional charge as the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives on 19 December 1984. During his tenure he took several initiative for rural development, Local Government Engineering Department was also established during his tenure which played a vital role in the infrastructural development of the rural areas.^[5] He was elected to the Jatiya Sangsad for the first time in 1988 from Tangail-5.

He took over as the Minister of Agriculture on 28 March 1988. After taking charge he made many changes in the administration and field level of the Agriculture Department. He worked in increasing the irrigation system, supplying seeds and fertilizers for the farmers and increasing the gross food production of the country. During his tenure gross production raised to 19.5 million metric tons from 16.5 million metric tons despite the horrible floods in 1988. During this Bangladesh became self sufficient in food production for the first time. ^[6]

After the fall of Hussain Muhammad Ershad he participated in the 1991 Bangladeshi general election. He was elected to the Jatiya Sangsad from Tangail-5 as the candidate of Jatiya Party. Later he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and was elected to the parliament from the same constituency in the February 1996 Bangladeshi general election. But the parliament lasted only for 12 days. Later another general election was held on 12 June 1996. In that election Mahmudul lost his seat to Abdul Mannan of Awami League. He got 68,042 votes in that election and secured 3rd place after Abdul Mannan and Abul Kashem.^[7] In the 2001 Bangladeshi general election he regained his seat and was reelected to the parliament for the 4th time.^[8]

Hasan was elected to Parliament on 29 December 2012 from Tangail-5 in a by-election. The by-election was called after the Bangladesh Election Commission had cancelled the election of Jatiya Party MP Abul Kashem.^[9]

He was also the founder of Major General Mahmudul Hasan Ideal College, Tangail.^[10]

Hasan died in Dhaka on 31 December 2025 at the age of 89.^[11][12]