Syed Ghulam Akber (1935-2012)

Syed Ghulam Akber, former Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and former member of Jamaat’s Markazi Majlis-e-Shoora (Central Advisory Council) and breathed his last at Care Hospital in Hyderabad at about 1 p.m. on Apr 29. He was 77.

Born in a respectable family on March 16, 1935, Ghulam Akber got his early education in Hyderabad and did Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from O.T.C. Osmania University. Later he went to Russia for higher studies and did a special course in Anticorrosion Engineering from I.C.T Moscow University, Russia.

After completing his education, Ghulam Akber rendered his services as Executive Engineer, I.D.P.L, Hyderabad, as Zonal Engineer Bokaro Steel Plant Bihar (now Jharkhand), as Director Arcoy Industries Ltd., and as Manager in an Engineering Consultant Group, Saudi Arabia.

On his return from Saudi Arabia towards the end of 1997, Ghulam Akber joined Markaz JIH as its Secretary and continued in this capacity till 2011. He had also been member of its Central Advisory Council, Central Representative Council and Zonal Advisory Council Andhra Pradesh. He was in fact associated with JIH since 1966 but granted its membership in 1991.

During his stay at JIH headquarters he along with former Amir Professor Abdul Haq Ansari used to exercise power in all important matters and took personal interest in accelerating many JIH activities, including organising JIH Ladies Wing at the national level. He was considered a very kind and benevolent person as he used to help needy persons in and around Dawat Nagar and even in far flung areas of Delhi. He also used to impress upon his colleagues and workers with his extraordinary wit and humour.

He also attended conferences of ICNA, ISNA in the USA and Canada, and WAMY in Saudi Arabia. He was in fact a widely travelled person. He visited the USA, the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapore, Philippines and all Gulf countries.

He was a cardiac patient and was on pacemaker for over a decade. He was also suffering from Diabetes and some other diseases.

Mr. Muhammad Jafar, Naib Amir JIH and Mr. Syed Ateequr Rab, Manager Markazi Maktaba Islami Publishers rushed to Hyderabad and attended his funeral ceremony on Apr 30. His funeral prayer was led by his eldest son Hafiz Shakir Mohiuddin; about one thousand persons offered the prayer. He was buried in a local graveyard.

In a press statement issued on Apr 30, JIH Amir Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari and Secretary-General Nusrat Ali as well as other central functionaries of the organisation condoled his passing away and prayed to Allah for his forgiveness and choicest place in the Paradise