Asafuddowlah was born in 1936 in Faridpur, Bangladesh. A student of English Literature, he was actively involved in student politics, an elected Vice President of FHM Hall, Dhaka University, and awarded the University Blue in 1957. He is currently the Chairman of the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR). He served in the Civil Service for 34 years, including 14 years as permanent Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, and elected as President of the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association. He was a Fellow of the World Bank Economic Development Institute (EDI), and a member of the Planning Commission of Bangladesh. He served as the Chairman of the National Radio and TV Commission, and as the Chairman of Sonali Bank—the largest commercial bank in Bangladesh. He was Editor of The Bangladesh Today, a national English daily. He is a musician, and an East Pakistan Olympic Gold Medalist in Swimming. He was the founding President of the Asian Swimming Federation. He takes particular interest in human rights, public policy, comparative philosophy and religion, and has translated selected Suras of the Holy Qur\\\'an.
