Ex-secretary Nasima Begum first woman to head National Human Rights Commission

The government has appointed former secretary Nasima Begum as the chief of National Human Rights Commission.

The law ministry issued the circular on her appointment on Sunday.

As the NHRC chairman, she will get facilities equivalent to an Appellate Division judge. 

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is the chief of the committee that chooses NHRC chairman and members.

The government goes by the committee’s recommendation to make the appointments.

Born in 1960 at Munshiganj, Nasima did her Bachelor's and Master's from Dhaka University’s Islamic history and culture department.

She joined Bangladesh Civil Service in 1983 as assistant commissioner and magistrate.

She was promoted to deputy secretary at the Liberation War affairs ministry in 2003. She also served at the Local Government Division and Ministry of Public Administration, erstwhile Ministry of Establishment.

She was promoted to joint secretary in 2009 and posted at the Ministry of Social Welfare.

The government promoted her to additional secretary three years later and posted as the director general of Department of Social Services.

She was appointed as secretary-in-charge and then secretary to the Ministry of Social Welfare after two more years.

Nasima went to post retirement leave as senior secretary to women and children’s affairs ministry in January.

Her husband Faizur Rahman Chowdhury was also a government secretary. He served at the Post and Telecommunication Division and then the Ministry of Jute and Textile.

At NHRC, she has succeeded Kazi Reazul Hoque, whose tenure ended in July. Rezaul had replaced the first NHRC chief Mizanur Rahman in 2016.

In another circular, the government appointed former secretary Kamal Uddin Ahmed as a member of the commission with facilities equivalent to a High Court Division judge.