Anwar Hossain Manju

Who is Anwar Hossain Manju?

Anwar Hossain Manju was born on January 1, 1946 in what is now the Pirojpur District of Bangladesh. Hossain has served a lifetime of positions in the government of Bangladesh and is currently the Minister for Forest and Environmental Affairs. He was the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resource of Bangladesh from 1985 to 1988 under Hossain Mohammad Ershad. As Energy Minister, Hossain's achievements include the augmentation of energy generation from 700 to 2,500 megawatts, and the launching of the major public works project of the Jamuna Bridge. Hossain acquired the cooperation and appreciation of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other donors to successfully implement the allotted amount of aid given to the country. Hossain then served as Minister of Communications for Ershad's government.

Hossain was a vocal opponent of Ershad's introduction of religious references to the Constitution of Bangladesh. He objected to the declaration of Islam as the state religion of Bangladesh and warned that such an assault on secularism constitutes a slippery slope that would erode Bangladesh's successes as a progressive society.