Biography

Advocate Sultana Kamal is a leading human rights activist and prominent civil society voice of Bangladesh. She served as the Executive Director of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK – Law & Arbitration Centre) from 2001 to 2016. Starting career as a teacher of Music she moved to the world of human rights through her work with national and international voluntary organizations. She served as a legal consultant to the United Nations for the Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong.

She is the Founding President of Manobadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (Foundation for Promoting Human Rights Culture), Co-chairperson of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission, and a Trustee of the Protichi Trust Bangladesh founded by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen. She is the Chairperson of Blue Planet Initiative and Trustee Board member of CPD, Convener of the National Committee for Saving the Sundarbans. She is also a member of Asia Pacific Forum for Women Law and Development and South Asians for Human Rights, Women Living Under Muslim Laws (International Network), among others. She served briefly as an Adviser to the Caretaker Government in 2006. Her current professional involvements include guiding consultants to promote human rights culture across the country engaging the youth.

In 1971 Sultana Kamal joined the Liberation War as was one of the founders of the Bangladesh Field Hospital for injured freedom fighters in Tripura, India. She won the John Humphrey Freedom Award of Canada in 1996 for her role as a human rights and women’s rights activist. She also received the Anannya Top Ten Awards in 1995. In 2017 she was awarded the life time achievement award by Begum Zebunnessa and Kazi Mahboobullah Memorial Trust. She is also a recipient C.R Das gold medal (2012) and Mother Teresa Gold medal (2011).

She completed her graduation and post-graduation in English Literature from the University of Dhaka. She also did Graduation in Law from Dhaka University and Masters in Economic and Social Policies specializing in Women and Development from the Institute of Social Studies in Hague, Netherlands. Sultana Kamal has published extensively on state, society, human rights, democracy and justice.

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