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Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen
Naseer Ahamed (born 16 April 1961) is a Sri Lankan politician serving as the Governor[1] of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Naseer Ahamed has been active in Sri Lanka's political scene since 1994, having held various positions such as Cabinet Minister of Environment,[2] Member of Parliament from the Batticaloa district,[3] Chief Minister of the Eastern Province[4] and more. Early life and educationUniversityAhamed pursued a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Ahamed graduated with Honours from KFUPM in 1990, having completed his research on the analysis of tapered wave guide by splitting the non-uniform structure into uniform structures.[5] Political careerNaseer Ahamed entered politics in 1994 and began his political career as Director of international relations and Member of the High Command of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), under the leadership of SLMC leader M.H.M Ashraff.[6] National Unity Alliance (NUA) (1999-2002)Ahamed was also appointed as Director of international relations and Member of the High Command of NUA, Leader Ashraff's newest political party/alliance.[6] Democratic Unity Alliance (DUA) (2003-2012)Following the passing of Leader Ashraff, Naseer Ahamed exited the SLMC and NUA in 2003 and founded his own party, the Democratic Unity Alliance,[7] where he served as leader. Former Governor A. J. M Muzzamil was the first to contest under DUA, and secured a seat from the Colombo district at the 2004 Western Provincial Council election.[8] Muslim National Alliance (MNA) (2004-2014)Along with the Democratic Unity Alliance, Ahamed also formed the MNA,[9] and served as Secretary General. Advisor to the President (2007-2010)Ahamed served as the advisor to the then president,[6] Mahinda Rajapaksa, during the last stages of the Sri Lankan civil war. Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) (2012-2017)Ahamed secured a seat in the Eastern Provincial Council, contesting under the SLMC. Where he was then appointed as Minister of Agriculture, Animal Production & Development, Rural Industries Development, Fisheries and Tourism of the Eastern Provincial Council.[10][11] In 2015 he was appointed as the Chief Minister[4] of Eastern Province and Minister of Finance and Planning, Law & Order, Local Government & Regional Administration, Rural Development, Tourism & Environment, Building & Construction, Transport, Rural Industries and Housing. Parliament of Sri Lanka (2020-2023 Oct)Ahamed contested the 2020 Parliamentary election under the SLMC and was elected from the Batticaloa district to the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka.[12] Cabinet Minister of Environment (2022-2023 Oct)Ahamed was appointed as Minister of Environment in 2022[13] and was also a part of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. Naseer Ahamed was also appointed as special envoy of the president for Middle Eastern affairs.[14] Ahamed conveyed messages from President Ranil Wickremesinghe to notable Arab leaders such as Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense[14] of Saudi Arabia and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan[15] Naseer Ahamed was also elected as the President of the Sri Lanka-Saudi Arabia Parliamentary Friendship Association.[16] References
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