Engr. MD Badlur Rahman Khan Badal
Chairman
IHM College, Malaysia
Engr. MD Badlur Rahman Khan, Badal is a maverick businessman. His portfolio includes interests in travel and tourism, construction and management, remittance and forex, money services, palm oil export, printing, and manpower. Notably, he has represented the major Bangladeshi airlines in Malaysia, as the General Sales Agent for Biman Bangladesh Airlines, GMG Airlines, and Regent Airways. He is also a Director of Provati Insurance Bangladesh. Finally, Engr. MD Badlur Rahman Khan, Badal is also the Chairman of IHM College (Malaysia), where he presides over the provision of quality education to local and international students.
There are many of our expatriates worldwide, who are cognisant in mind, body and spirit for the welfare of the motherland; who always think of our country’s development. A shining example of such persons is Engr. MD Badlur Rahman Khan, Badal.
Ha was born in Binnauri Village, Kalihati Upazila, Tangail District to a respectable muslim family. Engr. Badal had been a meritorious student since his boyhood and a devoted soul for humanity. He joined student politics in 1981 through Jateotabadi Chattra Dal membership. It was his appreciation that members of other student organizations were involved in violent activities, but the members of Chattra Dal abstained. That was why he was attracted to Chattra Dal politics. Along side being a staunch believer in the spirit of the liberation war, he joined this student organization after being influenced by the ideals of the valiant freedom fighter Shaheed Zia. During his student career, he took up an active role against the autocratic Ershad movement (propagated by the students and general masses). Having obtained an Engineering Degree in 1990-91, he preferred Malaysia for higher study.
He strongly believes that Malaysia achieved its success and development because of an honest and time appropriate leader, Tun Mahathir Mohammad. His appreciation is as such, that, had Shaheed Zia been alive long enough, he could have taken Bangladesh to similar heights of development. With this thought, he in 1995, being influenced by the ideals of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman and also the inspiring leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia, joined BNP. Along side performing various duties and activities for the party between 2000-2005, he held the chairmanship of BNP in Malaysia. Having spent a long 23 years abroad, his love and affection towards the motherland is so strong that he returns home to Bangladesh every 2-3 months to visit his village and enquire as to the health and wellbeing of its members. He participates in the uplifting of his local society. In doing so, he discovered and now lives the ideals of Shaheed Zia in these development works; he was also inspired by the role of Begum Khaleda Zia in her laborious development works for the country. He usually spends 8-10 days in his locality where he enquires if any village members suffer financial disabilities, and then extends aid and cooperation to the best of his abilities. That is why Badal is a popular person in his locality, which has manifested through his people-oriented activities. Included in his charitable activities are: treating his poorer village members with meat, habitation improvement, Mosque and Maddrasha maintenance, and student funds for studies. During the 2007 Military rule, he extended his leadership to help and unite the BNP leaders and workers in Kalihati Upazila, during the political upheaval, in absence of the former minister Shajahan Siraj. During these extreme times faced by BNP, its members in Kalihati Upazila were very active. He directed BNP Kalihati throughout those two long and tumultuous years.
Engr. Badal is an industrial and culturally oriented figure, which he inherited from his family. He used to take part in recitation music and acting since his boyhood. And that is why people know him. He founded a club called, “Surjya Shikkha” in Kalihati during his College student days. He waged a movement to build a library in Kalihati in order to make study and reference books accessible while he was a student. While he was a student in M M Ali College, he took part in the literary and cultural movements and also the debates. In the same tempo, he established the “Bangladesh Cultural Centre” in Malaysia to promote Bangladesh. Cultural movements carry forward. He was its president. He created opportunities for Bangladeshi expatriates in Malaysia to be united through this centre. He also upheld and promoted many of our National Days and cultural heritage through this centre, which allowed people from other nationalities to be informed about our country and its cultural heritage. During the national election in 2001, he campaigned in the villages of Kalihati Upazila and tried to inspire the people to become politically involved. He took part in party campaigning with the BNP young leader Tarique Zia and was associated with him in various district tours. He took part in different programmes under the initiative of the Ziaur Rahma Foundation. Among the initiatives were the distribution of poultry, tree plants, fish seedlings, warm clothes and quilts.
When Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman were unjustly arrested in 2007, many BNP leaders were outraged at home and abroad against the actions of an unconstitutional and undemocratic government. Engr. Badlur Rahman Khan organised protest rallies against Bangladesh’s undemocratic caretaker government, in Malaysia, to influence and inspire public opinion. When Begum Khaleda Zia was kept under house arrest in her residence, Engr. Badal, through teleconference, arranged the transcription of her televised speech on the television screen.
During that difficult time, Engr. Badal kept in constant contact with BNP leader Rahul Kabir Rizvi to materialize BNP programmes abroad. These activities were not limited to other countries. When a flood hit his own Kalihati Upazila, he was busy with relief distribution. A BNP standing body member, Brig (Reta) Hannan Shah, even graced the event. He continued facilitating BNP programmes during the party’s odd and difficult times in such ways. He reorganized the Bangladeshi expatriates in different countries to lobby and campaign for the release of Begum Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman. Such activities included: travel to numerous high commission premises, submissions of memorandums, drafting letters to various members of state, and burning effigies of the head of the caretaker government, Dr. Fakruddin Ahmed. Engr. Badal was the prominent initiator of the international conference of the BNP leaders, held in London. He protested, through an open challenge televised in Bangla TV, against false propaganda faced by BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, which he held to be baseless and fabricated. Nobody dared to face this challenge by Engr. Badal. Engr. Badal not only works towards the betterment of his party and workers, but also for the development of Bangladeshi expatriates in Malaysia. Whenever he notices strife or disadvantage, he tries to resolve the same with his own initiatives. Engr. Badal was awarded with the Seri Mahkota Kelantan title for his work towards the betterment of his community. The prestigious crest was awarded to him by the Sultan of Kelantan as a mark of appreciation. Whilst staying in Malaysia, he has never stopped working towards the betterment and development of his motherland. He continues to take steps to spread education in his Kalihati, and to alleviate the suffering of those stricken by poverty. So it appears the Engr. Badal, though an expatriate, deeply muses for the country. Engr. Badal deeply thinks about Bangladesh and its people. He says, “If we all work with the same spirit as our freedom fighters in the liberation war, we will certainly establish our country with a strong position in the world”.
