Dr. Kamal Hossain is a notable Bangladeshi politician, statesman and law expert. He is credited as being one of the principal authors of the Constitution of Bangladesh .

Early Life

Dr. Kamal Hossain was born on 20 April 1937. He received a Bachelors degree with honors on jurisprudence 1957  from the University of Oxford in 1957 . He also received a Bachelor of civil law from there in 1958. He received a Bar at law degree from Lincoln's Inn, London. In 1964, he received a doctorate degree on international law.

Admitted: 1959, Lincoln's Inn, England, Pakistan and High Court, Dhaka; 1971, Bangladesh, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court

Education: University of Notre Dame (A.B., 1955); University of Oxford (B.A., Hons, 1957; B.C.L., 1958; Doctor of Philosophy, International Law, 1964)

Kamal Hossain practices in the following areas of law: Admiralty; Banking; International and Commercial Arbitration; Constitutional Law; Corporate Law; Oil and Gas; Litigation

Member: International Law Association (Chairman, Committee on Legal Aspects of Sustainable Development); International Bar Association (Member, Gas Law Committee, Energy Section); LAWASIA; United Nations Compensation Commission; Supreme Court Bar Association, Bangladesh (President, 1990-1991); Bangladesh Bar Council (Vice-Chairman, 1989-1995).

Biography: Author: "Law and Policy in Petroleum Development," Frances Pinter, London, 1979. Member of Parliament, 1972-1975. Chairman, Constitution Drafting Committee, Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh, 1972. Minister of Law, 1972, Petroleum and Minerals, 1974 and Foreign Affairs, 1973-1975, Government of Bangladesh. Visiting Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford, 1975. International Consultant, Clifford Chance, London. Member: Advisory Board, ICSID Review, Foreign Investment Law Journal; Panel of Arbitrators.

Political Career

Dr. Hossain served as the Minister of Law (1972-1973), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1973-1975) and Minister of Petroleum and Minerals (1974-1975) in the Government of Bangladesh during the rule of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The constitution of Bangladesh was written by him in 1972. But he couldn't resist the change of the constitution which was made by creating BAKSAL(Bangladesh Krishok Sramik Awamy League) by Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He had been associated with Awami League until the early 1990s, when he formed his own political party, Gano Forum (People's Forum), following disputes with Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed.

Role in International Law

Dr. Hossain is renowned worldwide as a jurist, and has a long association with the United Nations. Between 1998-2003, he has served as the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan. He is a current member of the UN Compensation Commission.