Staff Reporter :
Barrister Mainul Hosein, Printer and Publisher of The New Nation and former Law, Information and Land Adviser of the Caretaker Government, passed away on Saturday evening.
Mainul, also a prominent lawyer in the country, breathed his last at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka at the age of 83.
He had been suffering from various health complications over the last one year and was undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital for the last several days.
Barrister Mainul left behind his wife, two sons, a daughter, a host of relatives, friends and well-wishers to mourn his death.
Two rounds of Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayers) for him will be held today (Sunday) – one at Baridhara Jame Mosque at 10:30 am and the other on the Supreme Court premises after Zohr prayers.
Mainul will be laid to rest at Azimpur graveyard in Dhaka after the Janaza.
Born in Pirojpur district of Barishal in January 1940, Barrister Mainul Hosein, the eldest son of brave and renowned journalist of the country Tofazzal Hossain (Manik Mia), did his schooling in Calcutta, Pirojpur and Dhaka.
He completed his school final exam (Matriculation) from Nawabpur Govt High School, Dhaka.
He was associated with the scout movement as the leader of his school’s troop.
He did his Intermediate in Science from Dhaka College.
In 1961 he did his honours in Political Science from Dhaka University and went to London for studying Law, got admitted to Middle Temple Inn in December the same year.
He returned to Dhaka as a Barrister-at-Law in 1965.
He joined Dhaka Bar Council as a Barrister and started law as his career in the same year.
In 1969, at the sudden demise of his father he had to take the responsibility as the Editor of the Daily Ittefaq for overcoming the immediate crisis of the void created by the death of his father.
In 1973, he returned to his own legal profession leaving the responsibility of Ittefaq as an Editor, but he continued as the Chairman of the board of editors.
In 1973, he was elected member of Parliament from his local constituency of Bhandaria-Kathalia (Barishal).
As the youngest member of the Parliament he remained vocal against any law of oppression and violative of human rights.
When the government changed the basic character of Constitution for introducing one-party system (BKSAL) in 1975, it was huge a dilemma for him not to go along with Bangabandhu.
At the same time he could not give up his belief in democracy. So, he chose to resign from the membership of Parliament along with Bangabir General M A G Osmani.
Barrister Mainul Hosein was President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Bangladesh (SCBA) from 2000 to 2001.
He was elected several times the President of Bangladesh Sangbadpatra Parishad and member of Press Council, and in both capacities, he left his mark in developing healthy relationship between the journalists and the newspaper owners.
Mainul Hosein was also second most important member of Press Commission established for the first time in Bangladesh.
Ataur Rahman Khan, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. Gazi Shamsur Rahman, Chairman, the Press Council together with Mr. Hosein played a major role in finalising the legal framework for the press freedom namely the Press Commission Report.
In 2007, there arose a serious political deadlock over holding of the general elections. The civilian government collapsed and there prevailed a civil war situation. Martial law became inevitable.
To avoid martial law and allow the constitutional process to be saved, Barrister Mainul after much hesitation agreed to join the army-backed caretaker government in 2007. He thought the army should be helped not to impose martial law.
He joined the Caretaker Government as the Law, Information and Land Adviser on 14 January 2007.
During his tenure, Bangladesh formally declared the separation of the government’s executive and judicial functions on 1 November, 2007.
Even under the constraints of emergency situation he, as Law Adviser during his one-year period, passed the law separating the judiciary from the Executive which the politician failed to do ever since the constitutional commitment of 1972. The codification of all the laws of Bangladesh, The Bangladesh Code in 38 volumes was completed.
It is during this time that Anti-Corruption Commission was given complete independence.
The Election Commission was strengthened. All this was done to make the foundations of democracy strong.
Barrister Mainul put on record the role he tried to play during the caretaker government by publishing a book entitled ÔMYZ‡š¿i mvdj¨ PvwnqvwQÕ (Wanted Success of Democracy).
His other prominent books include ‘Subservience is Not Freedom’, ‘Humanity of Justice’, ‘Bangladesh: Tragedy of Deceit and Duplicity’.
