Rizwana Hasan

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Syeda Rizwana Hasan
সৈয়দা রিজওয়ানা হাসান
saiy'daa rijoy'aanaa haasaan.jpeg
Rizwana Hasan in 2025
Adviser for Environment, Forest and Climate Change
In office
9 August 2024 –17 February 2026
Alma mater University of Dhaka
Profession Lawyer
Known forContributions in shipbreaking industry
Chief Executive of the BELA
Awards

Syeda Rizwana Hasan (born 15 January 1968) is a Bangladeshi lawyer and environmentalist. She was an adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh and as adviser of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Water Resources and Information and Broadcasting. [2] As an environmentalist, her work is focused on regulations for the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh, and was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2009. [3] She was also awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2012 for her "uncompromising courage and impassioned leadership in a campaign of judicial activism in Bangladesh that affirms the people's right to a good environment as nothing less than their right to dignity and life." [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Syeda Rizwana Hasan was born on 15 January 1968, into a Bengali Muslim Zamindar family called Narapati Haveli in Habiganj District, East Pakistan. She studied in Viqarunnisa Noon School and College for her secondary education and Holy Cross College for her higher secondary education, before attending the University of Dhaka for her bachelor's and master's degree in law. [5]

Career

Hasan got involved in the shipbreaking industry, first suing the breaking yards in Chittagong in 2003 for, among other reasons, bringing health hazards to the workers, poor working conditions, and improper waste disposal. In response, in March 2003 the court declared shipbreaking without an environmental clearance from the appropriate department illegal. [5] Hasan continues to strive for more labour rights and a safer working environment in the industry. [6] She has also successfully sued organizations involved in filling lakes to build real estate, the improper use of polythene, hill cutting, deforestation, shrimp farming, and building illegal establishments on St. Martin's Island. [5] On 6 March 2026, leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami held a rally in Dhaka demanding an investigation into alleged irregularities in the 12 February parliamentary elections. Speaking near Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, party leaders accused Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and former adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan of involvement in “election engineering”. The protest followed remarks by Rizwana Hasan suggesting that groups opposed to women’s rights should not become mainstream political forces, which Jamaat leaders interpreted as an implied admission that certain parties were deliberately kept out of power.

Awards

Under Hasan's leadership, BELA won the Global 500 Roll of Honor in 2003 by the United Nations Environment Program. [7] She herself won: [5] [7] [8]

She has also been dubbed as a Hero of Environment by the American news magazine TIME. [5] [6] [9]

In 2022, Hasan received the International Women of Courage Award from the United States Department of State. [10]

Personal life

Hasan was born in Habiganj to the parents Syed Mahibul Hasan and Suraiya Hasan. [5] She married her classmate lawyer-entrepreneur Abu Bakar Siddique, and has a daughter, Nehla Siddique and two sons, Ahmed Zarir Siddique and Ahmed Zeedan Siddique. [8] In April 2014, her husband Siddique, managing director of a garment factory owned by Nasrul Hamid Bipu, was briefly abducted by unknown individuals. [11] [12]

Selected works

References

  1. ↑ bdnews24.com. "Rizwana Hasan's husband found in Kalabagan". Rizwana Hasan's husband found in Kalabagan. Retrieved 8 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "Yunus-led interim govt sworn in". The Daily Star. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Syeda Rizwana Hasan". Goldman Environmental Prize. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  4. 1 2 Sarmiento, Christine Joy (26 July 2012). "2012 Ramon Magsaysay Award winners announced". Asian Journal. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, from Bangladesh, is being recognized for 'her uncompromising courage and impassioned leadership in a campaign of judicial activism in Bangladesh that affirms the people's right to a good environment as nothing less than their right to dignity and life.'
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Belar Shonge Rizwana". Dainik Kaler Kontho. 21 October 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Time names Rizwana as environment hero". The Daily Star . 4 October 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  7. 1 2 Choudhury, Shahidul (18 February 2010). "Syeda Rizwana Hasan, defender of environment". New Age. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  8. 1 2 Iqbal Choudhury (2009). Chhutir Dine (in Bengali) (509 ed.). Prothom Alo. p. 5.
  9. ↑ "Syeda Rizwana Hasan". Time. 22 September 2009. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  10. ↑ "2022 International Women of Courage Award". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Abductors free Abu Bakar". The Daily Star. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "Abduction of Mr. Abu Bakar Siddique, the husband of Ms. Syeda Rizwana…". OMCT. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
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