S.M. Abul Kalam

Bangladeshi politician

S.M. Abul Kalam is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and the ambassador of Bangladesh to Kuwait.[1][2]

## Early life

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Kalam graduated from University of Dhaka.[3]

## Career

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Kalam contested the 2001 parliamentary election as a candidate of Awami League from Chittagong-10. He lost the election to Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate Morshed Khan.[4]

Kalam was a member of Chittagong Development Authority.[3] He served as the president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was a director of Argani Bank. He was as a member of Chittagong Stock Exchange. He is the vice-president of South Chittagong City Awami League. On 20 March 2016, he was appointed the ambassador of Bangladesh to Kuwait.[5] On 19 April 2020, his contract of ambassadorship to Kuwait ended. The government extended his contract till 31 July 2020.[6] He reported in May 2020 that due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, he expected a thousands of migrant Bangladeshi workers would be forced to leave Kuwait.[7] In January 2019, the embassy was attacked and ransacked by migrant workers over unpaid wages according to Kalam.[8]

Kalam defended and protected Mohammad Shahid Islam, Member of Parliament, in Kuwait. Shahid has been detain by the Criminal Investigation Department (Kuwait) on allegations of human trafficking. Kalam wrote a letter to Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs defended Shahid when he was being investigated. According to Bangladeshi journalists based in Kuwait he asked Kuwait to deport Bangladeshi journalist or blacklist them to prevent them from re-entering Kuwait. He had Jamuna TV correspondent, Ehsanul Haque Khokon, detained and deported from Kuwait after he reported on workers protests.[9] AK Abdul Momen, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, stated that Kalam had been unable to inform them on the arrest of Shahid. Despite being the ambassador of Bangladesh to Kuwait for almost 5 years he was unable to gather information on the detention and charges against Shahid.[10]

## References

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1. ^ "Govt reappoints six ambassadors, high commissioners". UNB. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
2. ^ "Everyone who worked under MP Papul must be exposed: Kuwait MP". The Business Standard. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
3. ^ a b "SM Abul Kalam new envoy to Kuwait". banglanews24.com. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
4. ^ "Developing road, industry common poll pledges". The Daily Star. 24 December 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
5. ^ "Ctg AL leader new ambassador to Kuwait". The Daily Star. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
6. ^ "Six ambassadors get contract extension". The Financial Express. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
7. ^ "Thousands of Bangladeshi workers could leave Kuwait next week". Arab News. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
8. ^ "Demand for Arrears, Work Permit: Anger, chaos in Kuwait". The Daily Star. 19 January 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
9. ^ "Envoy defended lawmaker Shahid". The Daily Star. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
10. ^ "Foreign Minister: The arrest of MP Papul is disgraceful for the country". Dhaka Tribune. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.