Rafiqul Islam (politician, born 1979)

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Dr., Maulana, Hafiz
Rafiqul Islam
Member of Assam Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
2019
ProfessionPolitician and Islamic Theologian

Rafiqul Islam is an Indian politician and member of the Assam Legislative Assembly representing the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). He has served multiple terms as the elected representative from the Jania constituency.

Contents

Early life and education

Rafiqul Islam was born on 3 September 1979 in Kalgachia, a town in Barpeta district of Assam. [4] [5] [6]

Islam studied Islamic theology at Darul Uloom Deoband. He also received training in English language and literature at the Markazul Ma'arif Education and Research Centre in Bombay (now Mumbai), and later worked as a lecturer at a college in Assam. [7]

He later pursued higher education at Gauhati University, where he earned a Master of Arts (MA) degree with a gold medal and subsequently completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 2016. [8]

Career

Rafiqul Islam is not only a politician but also an Islamic theologian. He holds a leadership position as secretary in the Assam State chapter of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind. He has served as a guest professor at Gauhati University. [9] According to a 2021 report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Islam was among the most educated legislators in the Assam Assembly. [10] [8]

Political career

Rafiqul Islam was first elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly from the Jania constituency in 2011 as a candidate of AIUDF. After losing the seat in 2016, he reclaimed it in the 2019 by-election. [11] [12] In the by-election, he received 82,780 votes, defeating Congress candidate Shamsul Hoque (46,639 votes) and BJP candidate Towfiqur Rahman (15,360 votes). [13]

In the lead-up to the 2019 general elections, Islam was announced as the AIUDF candidate from Barpeta, replacing sitting MP Sirajuddin Ajmal. The party, aiming to avoid splitting opposition votes, decided to contest only three Lok Sabha seats: Dhubri, Barpeta, and Karimganj. The BJP alleged a secret alliance between AIUDF and Congress, but both parties denied any formal collaboration. [14]

In 2021, Rafiqul Islam was again nominated by AIUDF for the Jania seat as part of the Congress-led Grand Alliance, also known as the Mahajot, and won the seat in the state assembly elections. [15]

Rafiqul Islam is also the General Secretary of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). [16]

In February 2025, during the Assam Assembly's budget session, he publicly expressed dissatisfaction over the discontinuation of a Friday break traditionally observed to allow Muslim legislators to offer ‘namaz’. He criticized the move, stating that it was "imposed on the strength of numbers" by the ruling party. [17]

In March 2025, Rafiqul Islam supported a demand in the Assam Legislative Assembly for a condemnation motion against BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, who had referred to Dhubri as "mini Bangladesh" in the Rajya Sabha. Islam questioned whether the government considered Dhubri a part of Assam and urged the House to adopt a resolution against the remark. [18]

References

  1. ↑ "Affidavit of Rafiqul Islam (2019 Bye-Election)" (PDF). Chief Electoral Officer, Assam. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  2. ↑ "Affidavit of Rafiqul Islam (2019 Bye-Election)" (PDF). Chief Electoral Officer, Assam. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "Facebook post mentioning Humaira Bushra". Facebook. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  4. ↑ Rafiqul Islam MLA Assam, Rafiqul Islam Biography
  5. ↑ "Rafiqul Islam(AIUDF):Constituency- JANIA(BARPETA) - Affidavit Information of Candidate:". www.myneta.info. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  6. ↑ "Dr RAFIQUL ISLAM". Assam Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  7. ↑ Siddiqui, Zafar (2 May 2021). "دارالعلوم دیوبند کے فارغ حافظ رفیق الاسلام نے ایک لاکھ 19 ہزار ووٹوں سے لگاتار تیسری مرتبہ تاریخی جیت حاصل کی". Millat Times (in Urdu). Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Himanta Biswa Sarma, Rafiqul Islam highest qualified MLAs in Assam". India Today NE. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Who's Who". assamassembly.gov.in. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "Himanta, AIUDF legislator most educated MLAs in present Assam house: Report | Association for Democratic Reforms". adrindia.org. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  11. ↑ Jania Election Results 2016, Candidate list, Winner, Runner-up
  12. ↑ Assam byelection results: BJP retains three assembly seats
  13. ↑ "BJP 3, AIUDF 1 in Assam". The Telegraph. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  14. ↑ "Assam: AIUDF to contest three seats, BJP sees 'unholy alliance'". The Indian Express. 26 March 2019. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "AIUDF announces first list for Assam polls, renominates 7 sitting MLAs". The New Indian Express. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  16. ↑ "'They only see Muslims in Karim': AIUDF attacks Himanta Biswa Sarma over Karimganj renaming". Hindustan Times. 20 November 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  17. ↑ "No 'namaz break' in Assam Assembly after nearly 90 years". Deccan Herald. 21 February 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Opposition in Assam seeks motion against BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi for calling Dhubri 'mini Bangladesh'". The Hindu. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
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