Mohammad A. Arafat

Arafat was born in Rajshahi.[5]

Arafat is a syndicate member of the Canadian University of Bangladesh.[6] He is the Chief Advisor to the board of trustees of the Canadian University of Bangladesh.[7] He is the founder of Suchinta Foundation.[8] Arafat gave a speech at the Joy Bangla youth conference in 2015 organized by Centre for Research and Information, the political think tank of the Awami League.[9] He endorsed Annisul Huq for the North Dhaka Mayor election.[10]

On 28 December 2019, Arafat addressed a youth conference, Bangabandhu’s Leadership: Lessons for Today’s Youth, organized by the Centre for Research and Information at the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center and included Tarana Halim as a speaker.[11] Arafat has called for stronger ties with India and allowing transshipment of goods.[12] He wrote positively about Harsh Vardhan Shringla visit to Bangladesh and described it as "promising".[13]

Arafat called Reza Kibria, son of former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria, a traitor for complaining about the human rights situation in Bangladesh to the United States.[14] He criticized the United States for placing sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion and described Gano Adhikar Parishad as a none threat to the Awami League government.[14] The United States sanction Rapid Action Battalion under the Magnitsky Act for extrajudicial killing with specific reference to the Killing of Ekramul Haque.[15][16]

In September 2022, the Government of Bangladesh dismantled the existing trustee board alleging it had links with Islamist militants and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.[17] Mayor of North Dhaka and Awami League politician, Atiqul Islam, was appointed chairman and Arafat was appointed a member of the newly created Trustee board.[18]

Arafat was made a member of the Central Working Committee of the Awami League in December 2022.[19]

Arafat married Shomi Kaiser, actress and daughter of Shahidullah Kaiser and Panna Kaiser,[20][21] on 24 July 2008 which ended in divorce in 2015.[22][23]