Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem

Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (March 29, 1916 – July 8, 1997) was the first Chief Justice of Bangladesh and also the 5th President of Bangladesh, serving between November 6, 1975 and April 21, 1977.

Early life

Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem was born in the city of Rangpur in the province of Bengal (now in Bangladesh). He was educated at the Rangpur Zilla School and proceeded for higher studies at the Carmichael College in Rangpur. Sayem also studied at the Presidency College, Calcutta and obtained a law degree from the University Law College in Kolkata (then Calcutta).

Legal career

After years working as a lawyer and judge at the Calcutta courts, Sayem moved to Dhaka after the partition of India in 1947. Setting up a practise at the Dhaka High Court, Sayem also worked under Bengali politician A. K. Fazlul Huq. Sayem would be elected secretary and later vice-president of the Dhaka High Court Bar Association. He also held high posts with the East Pakistan Lawyers Association, the East Pakistan Bar Council and the Dhaka board of the State Bank of Pakistan. On July 3, 1962 Sayem was appointed as a judge on the high court. In 1967, he became a member of the inquiry commission investigating the causes of the exodus and eviction of religious minorities from East Pakistan. He also worked to set electoral constituencies for the 1970 elections and worked with the Pakistan election commission.

Political career

After the creation of Bangladesh, Justice Sayem was appointed the first chief justice of the provisional high court of the new state on January 12, 1972. He assumed the office of chief justice of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on December 17, 1972. His most important judgment on the court is believed to be the Berubari Case in which cession of southern half of South Berubari union and the adjacent enclaves to India in exchange for Dahagram and Angarpota enclaves to Bangladesh under an agreement signed by the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh on May 1974 was challenged. Following the military coups of August 15, November 3 and November 6, Justice Sayem was appointed president of Bangladesh and chief martial law administrator by the military junta led Gen. Ziaur Rahman and Col. Abu Taher. He relinquished the role of chief martial law administrator on November 29, 1976 to General Zia. He resigned from the presidncy on April 21, 1977 after citing concerns of ill-health. During his brief tenure, Sayem sought to restore normalcy and return the country to democratic rule.

Later life

Justice Sayem authored an autobiographical work "At Bangabhaban: Last Phase" (1988) recounting the tumultous events in national politics between 1975 and 1977. Justice Sayem died in Dhaka on 8 July, 1997.

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References

* [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/S_0153.htm Banglapedia biography]