A K A Firoze Noon

Early life

Noon was born in Samspur, Sreenagar, Munshiganj on January 4, 1946. His father late Mozammel Hossain, popularly known as Suba Miah was for sometimes President of the Kolapara Union of Bikrampur. His mother late Sufula Begum (Chappa) was the granddaughter of Khan Bahadur Khabirullah.

Firoze Noon had his primary schooling at Shomspur School from Class I to Class III. From Class IV to VIII he was with St. Joseph High School, Khulna but did his Matriculation in 1963 from Model High School in Khulna town. He graduated from B L College of Khulna in Arts in the year 1967.

Student politics

Around this time in the college the entire East Pakistan was seized by a terrible commotion over the highly controversial Hamoodur Rahman Education Commission Report. The Student Community as a whole rose in protest and demanded to scrap of the report which would have gone against the interest of the students if implemented. Mr. Noon was the Convenor of the Committee of the college students and was eventually involved in its leadership. This was the time he joined the then Students’ League (Chatro League). His inspiration was Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Ataur Rahman Khan. Being in the front ranking leader of the students he earned the wrath of the government of East Pakistan and was put behind the bars for some time in 1963.

Firoze Noon actively and most notably participated in all the movements of the students of East Pakistan including the 6-point program of Awami League and 11-point program (1969 "Egaro Dofa Andolon") of the students – the main opposition political party students movement respectively at that time.

East Pakistan Chatro (Student) League

He rose to the position of vice-president of the erstwhile East Pakistan Student League. The mass uprising in 1969 was about to precipitate – at least the distant signal was beckoning. The student community in Khulna, like in other places of the province, started the process of effacing the names of the parochial Pakistani leaders after whom the public structures, roads, and thoroughfares had been known. In the first place, the Jinnah Park in Khulna was renamed Shahid Hadis Park after a martyr in the political movements. Firoze Noon proposed the change in public and the renaming was ceremonially performed. It was again he and Prof. Rashid who jointly laid the first brick to build a Shahid Minar in Khulna town.

In 1968 AKA Firoze Noon obtained post-graduation degree in Bangla and took admission in LLB class. The year ahead in 1969 kept him engaged full-time with the political movement and 6-point/11-point programs. His responsibility as the Vice-President of the Students League and a Central Leader was to mobilize the support of the students as well as of the general members of the public.

Formation of BNP

The years between 1970 and 1976 kept Firoze Noon busy with his vocational chores mostly and in the backyard he allowed his political thinking and attachment take to a newer trend. In 1977 he joined hands with General Ziaur Rahman in his bid to float a new political party – Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). After the formation of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, President Ziaul Rahman took initiative for formation of political institutes and sponsored workshops for the youth to get active political lessons on Bangladeshi nationalism. Firoze Noon assumed the role of the Principal, Political Training Centre/Institute and in the process about 7,000 political activists including the member of parliament and ministers were imparted training.

A K A Firoze Noon got himself involved in a number of areas related to the party progression. As the founder-member of BNP in Zia’s time, he was Secretary of Political & Economic Research Centre. He traveled many countries (i.e. China, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Yugoslavia etc.) with President Ziaur Rahman as the member of high-level delegation team and also as a distinguished member, Envoy's Pool of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Bangladesh).

In 1991 national election Firoze Noon acted as the Chief Election Coordinator of BNP and his personal contribution to BNP Election Manifests of 1991 was indeed immensely rewarding.

Experiences in various capacity

A. K. A. Firoze Noon was associated with the following Cabinets, Organizations, Association and other Committees in different capacities

1. Distinguished Member, Envoy's Pool of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Bangladesh) (1978-1980).
2. Principle, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Political Training Center for Cabinet Ministers, MPs and other political activists (1977-1980)
3. Political and Economic Research Secretary of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
4. Political Adviser of Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia (1991-1996).
5. Director in the Board of Directors, Shilpa Bank (1991-1996).
6. Chairman, Selection committee for Sick Industries under the Ministry of Industry (Bangladesh) (1991-1996).
7. Member, Reform Committee for Education and Prevention of Corruption of the Ministry of Education (Bangladesh) (1991-1996).
8. Managing Director, Cooperative Jute Mills Ltd(1991-1996).
9. Director, Cooperative Bank and Cooperative Jute Society (1991-1996).
10. Member, Film Censor Board, Film Jury Board for 9 years from 1978.
11. Member, Steering Committee, Bangladesh Open University (1991-1996).
12. Senate Member, Bangladesh National University (1991–96).
13. Director in the Board of Directors, Shilpakala Academy (National Academy of Fine and Performing Arts)
14. Founder Member, Viqarunnesa Noon School & College Governing Committee.
15. Convenor, Finance Committee Viqarunnesa Noon School & College.
16. Honorary Treasure, Viqarunnesa Noon School & College.
17. Founder Convenor, Viqarunnesa School and College Dhanmondi Branch in 1993.
18. Founder, Shomspur Business Management College.
19. Chairman, Shomspur High School.
20. Chairman, Noon Interactive.
21. General Manager, Dainik Desh Newspaper.
22. President, Bangladesh Roller Skating Federation.
23. President, Bangladesh Boxing Federation.
24. Adviser, Olympic Industries Limited.
25. Adviser, Bombay Sweets & Co. Ltd.
26. Adviser, eSophers Ltd.

Publications

Firoze Noon has been the author of five books on the life and works of Shahid President Ziaur Rahman. Publications include:

1. Amar Rajniteer Ruprekha (আমার রাজনীতির রূপরেখা) - Dec 1986, Jul 1991, Dec 1992, Feb 2000.
2. Zia Keno Jonopriyoo - May 1991, Feb 1996, Mar 2002, Dec 2011.
3. Chotoder Jonno Ziaur Rahmam (ছোটদের শহীদ জিয়াউর রহমান) - Dec 1991.
4. Chotoder Komol Janatar Zia (ছোটদের কমল জনতার জিয়া) - Feb 2002.
5. Shahid Zia er Shrishto Boktrita - May 2002.

Involvement in education sector

A K A Firoze Noon has been indeed a very respected name in the education sector as well for his being a highly committed patron of education himself. His membership of the Steering Committee, Bangladesh Open University (1991-1996) besides that of the Bangladesh National University as a Senate Member (1991–96), Founder Member, Viqarunnesa Noon School & College Governing Committee, Convenor, Finance Committee and Honorary Treasure of Viqarunnesa Noon School & College, Founder, Shomspur Business Management College, Chairman, Shomspur High School, Founder Convenor of Viqarunnesa School and College Dhanmondi Branch in 1993 etc., can be cited as glittering testimony of his love for educational pursuits.

On the top of all these he has been consistent developer himself and helped others develop many educational institutions at Bikrampur

Involvement in journalism and cultural sector

Noon was associated with the The Daily Ittefaq as a reporter as far back as in 1963-1964 and with Dainik Desh as its general manager from 1982 to 1990. Besides, he has been a regular contributor to the post-editorial column of many dailies of Bangladesh.

As a part of his deep-rooted interest in culture-related chores and in important personalities in the cultural area, he played the role of Convenor of the National Committee to receive here the famous matinee idol and Bollywood Superstar Dilip Kumar in 1994.

Among his other accomplishments, A K A Firoze Noon has been a television personality being a noted Compare and Conductor of talk show on Bangladesh Television (BTV). Besides, he presided over the National Debating Competition on BTV. He was a regular guest speaker of most celebrated talk-show ever produced by any television channel in Bangladesh, Tritio Matra on Channel i and also regular on NTV, ATN Bangla, RTV etc. as guest speaker.

He received Atish Diponkar Gold Medal Award for the merit of performance and contribution in the socio-cultural arena.