Mohammad A. Arafat
Mohammad A. Arafat | |
|---|---|
মোহাম্মদ এ. আরাফাত | |
Arafat in 2024. | |
| Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting | |
| In office 11 January 2024 – 5 August 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Sheikh Hasina |
| Preceded by | Murad Hasan |
| Succeeded by | Nahid Islam (as adviser) |
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 13 July 2023 – 5 August 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque |
| Succeeded by | Tarique Rahman |
| Constituency | Dhaka-17 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 May 1973 Rajshahi, Bangladesh |
| Party | Bangladesh Awami League |
| Spouses |
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| Alma mater | Oklahoma State University Prairie View A&M University |
Mohammad A. Arafat (born 2 May 1973) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and academic. He is a former Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Dhaka-17 constituency in 2023–2024. On October 17, 2024, International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant for Arafat in connection with alleged crimes against humanity and genocide during the 2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement. The Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal requested Interpol to issue red notices for several accused, including Arafat, to assist with their arrest and possible extradition.
During his tenure, Arafat defended his government's response to the 2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement, attributing the unrest to the involvement of third-party actors, including extremists group. However, a report by the OHCHR found evidence of brutal and systematic repression of the protests by his government. The Managing Director and CEO of the Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) alleged that Arafat directed temporary suspensions of broadcasts from four private television channels on multiple occasions during the protests through WhatsApp messages. He has been the subject of significant public outrage because of many of his statements and "Alo Ashbei" WhatsApp group during the protests.