Imthiaz Bakeer Markar


Imthiaz Bakeer Markar is a Sri Lankan politician. He was the Chairman of the National Media Centre and former Cabinet Minister of Media, Postal and Telecommunications from 2001 to 2004 and State Minister of Housing from 1989 to 1993. He was also a member of the parliament from the Kalutara District from 1989 to 2004. Bakeer Markar is a former Vice President of the United National Party.

Early life

Born in Beruwala on 8 August 1953, his father was M. A. Bakeer Markar, who was a former Parliamentary Speaker and a former Governor of the Southern Province. His ancestry can be traced to Sheik Jamaluddeen-Al-Maghdoomi, Arab settler who settled down in Beruwala. His grandfather Hakeem Alia Marikkar belonged to a family of physicians, whose ancestors were physicians.
He was educated at Holy Cross College, Kalutara, Zahira College, Gampola before completing his secondary education at Ananda College, Colombo. He graduated from the University of Kelaniya with a BSc in Mass Communication and he completed the law exams at the Sri Lanka Law College taking oaths as an Attorney-at-Law in 1981.

Political career

In 1981 he became the Deputy Chairman on the Kalutara District Development Council, a position he retained until he was elected to the Sri Lankan Parliament as the Member for the Kalutara District in 1988. He served as the Minister of State for Housing between 1989 and 1993 and as the Minister of Media, Posts and Telecommunication in the Cabinet of the 12th Sri Lankan Parliament between 2001 and 2004. Markar did not contest the 2004 parliamentary elections.

Family

Markar married ARL Ummu Fareeda in 1981 and they have five children Asaf, Azam, Fadhil, Adhil and Insaf.

Works