Sheikh Razzak Ali

Between 1949 and 1950, Ali worked as a teacher in the RKBK Harishchandra Collegiate School of Prafulla Chandra Ray in Paikgachha Upazila.

In the early 1950s, he started his career as a journalist briefly working for the then Pakistan Observer as a reporter and as a commercial editor for the Weekly Pakistan Post.

Ali began his legal practice in the District Judge's Court of Khulna in 1958 and was enrolled in Dhaka High Court Bar in 1963. He then was elected as the President of Khulna Bar in 1964 and as its general secretary in 1972 before being elected member of the Bangladesh Bar Council in 1973. He was also elected as the President of Jessore District Bar several terms. He founded Khulna City Law College of which he acted as vice-principal. Later, he was made principal of the college and remained in this post for 25 years.

Ali as Speaker of the Parliament at Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban

Razzak Ali was known for his honesty and integrity throughout his political career. He was a founding member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), founding President of Khulna District BNP from 1979 to 1991 and also was the Member of the BNP Standing Committee. He was elected first Vice-Chairman of BNP in 1992. After becoming Speaker he relinquished the post of party vice-chairman.

Ali at the BNP with Khaleda Zia

In 1979, he was elected Member of Parliament from Khulna-5 constituency and then from Khulna-2 constituency in 1991 and 1996.

He was appointed State Minister for law and Justice on 20 March 1991. On 5 April 1991, he was elected as Deputy Speaker and was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 5th Parliament on 12 October 1991, a position he held until 1996. In June 1992, he attended the 1st Conference of the Speakers of the SAARC Countries (Colombo, Sri Lanka) and was elected the President of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians. In September of the same year, he presided over the IPU conference held in Stockholm (Sweden) as the Vice-President. He was re-elected in 1996 as the Speaker of the 6th Parliament. He presided over the session which passed the Caretaker Government Bill on 15 February 1996.

Ali chairing a session at the UN

Ali heading a parliamentary committee

In 2006, he resigned from the BNP to join the Liberal Democratic Party (Bangladesh) as its Executive President. He quit politics in 2009.[2]

Ali was Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK between 2002 and 2003, when he resigned from his position.

Ali as UK high-commissioner meeting Queen Elizabeth II