Kazi Zafar Ahmed

Kazi Zafar Ahmed was born in 1939, in the upazila of Chauddagram in Comilla.^[1] He was originally a leader at the Dhaka University. He served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 20 March 1989 to 6 December 1990. He has a M.A. degree in History from Dhaka University.

Political career

Kazi Zafar was a legendary student leader who spearheaded the first popular revolt against the military ruler Ayub Khan in 1962 which eventually led to the relaxation of Gen. Ayub's iron rule and the release of political leaders. He later became a labour leader, mainly concentrating in organising the workers in the Tongi industrial area. He was also instrumental in the split of the communist party into pro-Peaking faction. He was among the first to demand independence of East Pakistan and on February 22, 1970 from a grand rally of students, workers and general mass at the historic Paltan Maidan declared the programme for establishing an independent Peoples' Democratic Republic of Bangladesh.

After independence, he joined the National Awami Party of Moulana Bhashani and became its Secretary General. He declared to form a responsible opposition party. Later he formed United Peoples' Party (UPP) in 1974. He took the UPP to a coalition government with President Ziaur Rahman after he assumed presidency through a referendum. Kazi Zafar became education minister, but left the coalition due to irreconcilable differences. However, many of his former colleagues joined President Zia's new party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Prominent among them were Abdul Mannan Bhuyia and Abdullah Al-Noman who later became BNP's secretary general and organising secretary, respectively.

Kazi Zafar also played a leading role in the anti military role of President Ershad. But the period since 1975 in Bangladesh witnessed realignment of politics and leaders leaving their old parties and joining new ones. Kazi Zafar dissolved his UPP and joined President Ershad's Jatyio Party (JP). He served the Ershad Government as Commerce Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and finally as Prime Minister.^[2]

Kazi Zafar in Australia

After the fall of the Ershad Government, Kazi Zafar came to Australia^[3] for the treatment of his kidney. He was then appointed as Distinguished Visiting Professor by the University of Western Sydney. He delivered a number public lectures on the Indian Nationalist Movement against the British Rule, geo-political developments in the subcontinent and the education system in Bangladesh.

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