The Dreamer of Independent Bengal

Huseyn Shahid Suhrawardi

Huseyn Shahid Suhrawardi was one of the most influential Bengali politicians in the first half of the 20th century. His immense political contribution shaped the birth of two nations: Pakistan and Bangladesh. He served as the Chief Minister of Bengal in British India and was elected as the fifth Prime Minister of Pakistan. His determined leadership and guidance inspired leaders like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to fight for the rights of our countrymen. We remember this great leader on his 51st death anniversary.

Huseyn Shahid Suhrawardi was born on September 8, 1892 in a prominent Muslim family of West Bengal
His father Justice Sir Zahid Suhrawardy was a judge at the Calcutta High Court and mother Khujastha Akhtar Banu is a noted name in Urdu literature
After graduation Calcutta University Suhrawardi was admitted to St Catherine's College, University of Oxford and obtained a BCL degree in civil law and justice
Suhrawardy returned to the subcontinent in 1921 as a practising barrister and became involved in the politics of Bengal

Huseyn Shahid Suhrawardi with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (R).

At first he joined the Swaraj Party of Chittaranjan Das in 1921 and played a major role in signing the Bengal Pact in 1923
After the death of Chittaranjan Das in 1925, he left Swaraj Party and then joined Muslim League
During the 1930s Suhrawardi served as the Mayor of Calcutta which was the largest city of British India at that time
In 1946, Suhrawardy established and headed a Muslim League government in Bengal which was the only Muslim League government in India at that time

In a press conference held in Delhi on April 27, 1947 Suhrawardy presented his plan for a united and independent Bengal
After the formation of Pakistan he came to Dhaka and joined Awami Muslim League formed by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani
In the 1950s, Suhrawardy worked to unite the political parties in East Pakistan to balance the politics of West Pakistan
Jukta Front, his political alliance with AK Fazlul Huq and Maulana Bhashani, won a landslide victory in the 1954 general elections of East Pakistan

In 1956, Suhrawardy became the Prime minister and was hastily appointed as fifth Prime Minister by President Iskander Mirza
For his reforms in East Pakistan he was forced to resign on October 10, 1957
He was banned from public life by the military junta of General Ayub Khan
This great leader died in 1963 in Beirut, Lebanon after suffering a heart attack