Hamidul Huq Choudhury

Hamidul Huq Chowdhury
Hamidul Huq Chowdhury, Calcutta, ca. 1930
3rd Foreign Minister of Pakistan
In office
September 28, 1955  September 12, 1956
Preceded by Muhammad Ali Bogra
Succeeded by Feroz Khan Noon
Personal details
Born August 25, 1901
Noakhali District, British Raj (present-day Bangladesh)
Died January 21, 1992 (aged 90)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Political party Muslim League
Alma mater Calcutta University
Religion Sunni Islam

Hamidul Huq Chowdhury (Urdu: حمید الحق چودھری) (1901–1992) was born in Noakhali District, Bengal (subsequently East Pakistan and now Bangladesh) during the British Raj. He was educated in Dhaka and Calcutta, and had a varied, distinguished and at times controversial career as a lawyer, politician and newspaper proprietor.

Education

Hamidul Huq was educated at the Dacca Collegiate School (Dhaka), Presidency College (Calcutta) and the Law College, Calcutta University (Calcutta). He was admitted as an Advocate before the Calcutta High Court and served for a time as a Crown Prosecutor. Hamidul Huq also served as a Legal Remembrancer for the Calcutta High Court. Following Partition in 1947, he had a long and distinguished legal practice before the Pakistan and subsequently Bangladesh High Courts, and celebrated his Golden Jubilee (50 years) as an advocate and member of the legal profession in 1987, at his residence, Neerala Garden House, Tejgaon, in Dhaka.

Law career

Hamidul Huq was elected to the Bengal Legislative Council in 1937 (serving as Deputy President of the Council) and was re-elected to the body in 1946. During his tenure on the Council, Hamidul Huq was a member of the Bengal Imperial Agriculture Council, Central Sugarcane Committee, Handloom Board, Textile Control Board and Industrial Development Enquiry Committee, and also a Fellow of Calcutta University. In 1947, Hamidul Huq represented the Muslim League before Sir Cyril Radcliffe's Boundary Commission.

Foreign Minister of Pakistan

Following partition in 1947, Hamidul Huq moved with his family to Dhaka, East Pakistan. He was elected to the Pakistan Constitutional Assembly and was also a member of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly, during which time he served as the Minister for Finance, Commerce, Labour & Industries (1947–49). Subsequently Hamidul was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1955 as a leader of the United Front Party and served as the third Foreign Minister of Pakistan (1955–56). Hamidul Huq participated in the Round Table Conference of Pakistani government and opposition leaders in Rawalpindi in 1969.

Hamidul Huq was the Founder Chairman of The Bangladesh Observer, which he established in Dhaka in 1949.

Hamidul Huq was married to Halima Banu. He died in Dhaka on 21 January 1992.

References

External references

Political offices
Preceded by
Muhammad Ali Bogra
Foreign Minister of Pakistan
1955 1956
Succeeded by
Feroz Khan Noon