| Tofail Ahmed | |
| Native Name: | তোফায়েল আহমেদ |
| Native Name Lang: | bn |
| Office: | Minister of Commerce |
| Term Start: | 12 January 2014 |
| Term End: | 6 January 2019 |
| Successor: | Tipu Munshi |
| Predecessor: | GM Quader |
| Office1: | Minister of Industries |
| Primeminister1: | Sheikh Hasina |
| Term Start1: | 14 July 1996 |
| Term End1: | 13 July 2001 |
| Predecessor1: | Shamsul Islam Khan |
| Successor1: | M. K. Anwar |
| Office2: | Member of parliament |
| Term Start2: | 12 January 2014 |
| Term End2: | 6 August 2024 |
| Predecessor2: | Andaleeve Rahman |
| Term Start3: | 5 March 1991 |
| Term End3: | February 1996 |
| Predecessor3: | Naziur Rahman Manzur |
| Successor3: | Mosharraf Hossain Shahjahan |
| Constituency3: | Bhola-1 |
| Term Start4: | 25 January 2008 |
| Term End4: | 20 November 2014 |
| Successor4: | Ali Azam |
| Term Start5: | 14 July 1996 |
| Term End5: | 13 July 2001 |
| Predecessor5: | Mosharraf Hossain Shahjahan |
| Successor5: | Hafiz Ibrahim |
| Term Start6: | 10 July 1986 |
| Term End6: | 6 December 1988 |
| Successor6: | Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman |
| Constituency6: | Bhola-2 |
| Term Start7: | 7 April 1973 |
| Term End7: | 6 Nov 1975 |
| Successor7: | AKM Akhtaruzzaman Alamgir |
| Constituency7: | Bakerganj-1 (now defunct)[1] |
| Birth Date: | 22 October 1943 |
| Birth Place: | Bhola, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Nationality: | Bangladeshi |
| Party: | Bangladesh Awami League |
Tofail Ahmed (born 22 October 1943)[2] is a Bangladeshi politician. He is a 7-term Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Bhola-1, Bhola-2 and Bakerganj-1 constituencies during 1973–2024. Previously he served as the Minister of Commerce and Minister of Industries of the Government of Bangladesh.[3] He was claimed as a corrupt person, In 1973, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman institutionalized cronyism in Bangladesh's civil service. His political secretary, Tofael Ahmed, appointed under-qualified individuals—often relatives and friends of Awami League leaders—to key positions. This group, dubbed the "Tofael Service," largely bypassed standard exams and was predominantly from Mujib's and Tofael's home districts. As a result, the civil service remained filled with under-qualified personnel for over thirty years [4]
Ahmed was born on 22 October 1943 to Bengali Muslim parents Moulvi Azhar Ali and Fatema Begum in the village of Koralia in Bhola Island, then a part of the Backergunge District of the Bengal Presidency.[5]
Ahmed studied at the Bhola Government High School until 1960 and then at the Brojomohun College until 1962. He graduated from the University of Dacca with a Master of Science in Soil science.[6]
Ahmed joined the Awami League and in support of the 1966 Six point movement of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.[7] was involved in the 1969 mass uprising in East Pakistan as a student leader.[8] He was the vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union.[9] In 1970, Ahmed was a political secretary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was a Bangladesh independence activist one of the organizers of Mujib Bahini during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
After the 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état and the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ahmed was detained by the military administration.[10] His Assistant Personal Secretary, Mintu, was tortured to death in custody.
In 1996, prior to the controversial February elections, Ahmed was arrested along with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah under the Special Powers Act.[11] He served as the Minister of Commerce in the Awami League government from July 1996 to January 2001.[12] [13]
In 2007, while the country went under emergency rule Ahmed was one of the leaders who proposed a reform proposal of Bangladesh Awami League which proposed by the military backed caretaker government and the removal of party chief Sheikh Hasina.[14] After the 2008 general election Awami League formed the government, but Ahmed was dropped from the cabinet despite being one of the influential members of Presidium.[15] [16]
Ahmed was the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industries Ministry.[17] He is also the member of the advisory committee of the Awami League. Earlier he was one of the influential members of the Awami League presidium. He was elected several times as a member of Jatiya Sangsad from Bhola constituency.[18] He was the Minister of Commerce.[19]
Ahmed married Anwara Begum, daughter of Mafizul Haq Taluqdar of Dania, in 1964. They have one daughter, Taslima Ahmed Zaman Munni, who is a doctor. Their son-in-law is Tauhiduzzaman Tuhin, a cardiologist at Square Hospital.[20]