A. K. Fazlul Huq
Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq (Bengali: আবুল কাশেম ফজলুল হক, Urdu: ابو القاسم فضل الحق; 26 October 1873 – 27 April 1962),[1] popularly known as Sher-e-Bangla (Lion of Bengal),[2] was a Bengali lawyer and politician who presented the Lahore Resolution which had the objective of creating an independent Pakistan.[3] He also served as the first and longest Prime Minister of Bengal during the British Raj.
"Sher-e-Bangla" redirects here. For other uses, see Sher-e-Bangla (disambiguation).
Lion of BengalAbul Kasem Fazlul Huq
Iskander Mirza
Office established
27 April 1962 (aged 88)
Dacca, East Pakistan, Pakistan (now Dhaka, Bangladesh)
- British Indian (1873–1947)
- Pakistani (1947–1962)
Krishak Sramik Party (1953–1958)
- All India Muslim League (1912–1929)
Indian National Congress (1914–?)
- Krishak Praja Party (1929–1946)
- Muslim League (1946–1953)
2 daughters and A. K. Faezul Huq
Razia Banu (granddaughter)
- Lawyer
- author
- politician
Born in 1873 to a Bengali Muslim family in British Bengal, Fazlul Huq held important political offices in the subcontinent, including President of the All India Muslim League (1916–1921), General Secretary of the Indian National Congress (1916–1918), Education Minister of Bengal (1924), Mayor of Calcutta (1935), Prime Minister of Bengal (1937–1943), Advocate General of East Bengal (1947–1952), Chief Minister of East Bengal (1954), Home Minister of Pakistan (1955–1956) and Governor of East Pakistan (1956–1958). Fazlul Huq was first elected to the Bengal Legislative Council from Dhaka in 1913; and served on the council for 21 years until 1934.[4] Fazlul Huq was a key figure in the Indian independence movement and then the Pakistan movement. In 1919, he had the unique distinction of concurrently serving as President of the All India Muslim League and General Secretary of the Indian National Congress. He was also a member of the Congress Party's committee enquiring into the Amritsar massacre. Fazlul Huq was a member of the Central Legislative Assembly from 1934 to 1936.[4] Between 1937 and 1947, he was an elected member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly, where he was Prime Minister and Leader of the House for six years.[4] After partition, he was elected to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly, where he was Chief Minister for 2 months; and to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, where he was Home Minister for one year during the 1950s.
Fazlul Huq boycotted titles and a knighthood granted by the British government. He was notable for his English oratory during speeches to the Bengali legislature.[5] Fazlul Huq courted the votes of the Bengali middle classes and rural communities. He pushed for land reform and curbing the influence of zamindars.[6] As Prime Minister, Fazlul Huq used legal and administrative measures to reduce the debt of millions of farmers subjected to tenancy under the Permanent Settlement.[7] Fazlul Huq was considered a leftist and social democrat on the political spectrum. His ministries were marked by intense factional infighting.
In 1940, Fazlul Huq had one of his most notable political achievements when he presented the Lahore Resolution which called for the creation of a sovereign state in the Muslim-majority eastern and northwestern parts of British India. During the Second World War, Fazlul Huq joined the Viceroy of India's Defence Council and supported the Allied war efforts. Under pressure from the Governor of Bengal during the Quit India movement and after the withdrawal of the Hindu Mahasabha from his cabinet, Fazlul Huq resigned from the post of premier in March 1943. In the Dominion of Pakistan, Fazlul Huq worked for five years as East Bengal's Attorney-General and participated in the Bengali Language Movement. He was elected as Chief Minister, served as a federal minister and was a provincial governor in the 1950s.
Fazlul Huq died in Dacca, East Pakistan on 27 April 1962. He is buried in the Mausoleum of Three Leaders. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, where the National Parliament is located, is named in honour of Fazlul Huq. His son A. K. Faezul Huq was a Bangladeshi politician.
Education[edit]
Initially home schooled,[1] Fazlul Huq later attended the Barisal District School, where he passed the FA Examination in 1890. Fazlul Huq was so brilliant that upon turning the page of a book he could memorise the whole page which astonished his father. Fazlul Huq moved to Calcutta for his higher education.[1] He sat for his bachelor's degree exam in 1894, in which he achieved triple honours in chemistry, mathematics and physics from the Presidency College (now Presidency University). He then obtained a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Calcutta in 1896. He obtained his Bachelor in Law from the University Law College in Calcutta in 1897.[4]
Civil servant and lawyer[edit]
From 1908 to 1912, Fazlul Huq was the Assistant Registrar of Co-operatives. He resigned from the public service and opted for public life and law. Based on advice from Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, he joined the bar council of the Calcutta High Court and started a legal practice.[4] He practised in the Calcutta High Court for 40 years.
Prime Minister of Bengal[edit]
First Premiership (1937-1941)[edit]
The dyarchy was replaced by provincial autonomy in 1935, with the first general elections held in 1937. Fazlul Huq transformed the All Bengal Tenants Association into the Krishak Praja Party. During the election campaign period, Fazlul Huq emerged as a major populist figure in Bengal. His party won 35 seats in the Bengal Legislative Assembly in the 1937 Indian provincial elections. It was the third largest party after the Bengal Congress and Bengal Provincial Muslim League. Fazlul Huq formed a coalition with the Bengal Provincial Muslim League and independent legislators. He was elected as the Leader of the House and the first Prime Minister of Bengal.
Writings[edit]
A.K. Fazlul Huq wrote a book Bengal Today[18] which was translated into Bengali.[19] He was one of three owner-cum-directors of the well regarded evening daily Nabajug which came often under British-Indian government's proscription because of its anti-imperialist premise. The paper is no longer published.[20]