Khawaja Nazimuddin
| Khawaja Nazimuddin خواجہ ناظم الدین খাজা নাজিমুদ্দীন | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Prime Minister of Bengal, British India | |
| In office 29 April 1943 – 31 March 1945 | |
| Governor | Richard Casey, Baron Casey |
| Preceded by | A. K. Fazlul Huq |
| Succeeded by | H. S. Suhrawardy |
| Prime Minister of Pakistan | |
| In office 17 October 1951 – 17 April 1953 | |
| Monarch | George VI Elizabeth II |
| Governor General | Malik Ghulam Muhammad |
| Preceded by | Liaquat Ali Khan |
| Succeeded by | Muhammad Ali Bogra |
| Governor-General of Pakistan | |
| In office 14 September 1948 – 17 October 1951 Acting until 11 November 1948 | |
| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Liaquat Ali Khan |
| Preceded by | Muhammad Ali Jinnah |
| Succeeded by | Nurul Amin |
| Chief Minister of East Bengal | |
| In office 15 August 1947 – 14 September 1948 | |
| Governor | Sir Frederick Chalmers |
| Preceded by | Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 July 1894 Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India (now Dhaka, Bangladesh) |
| Died | 22 October 1964 (aged 70) Dacca, East Pakistan, Pakistan (now Dhaka, Bangladesh) |
| Political party | Muslim League |
| Alma mater | Aligarh Muslim University Trinity Hall, Cambridge |
Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin, KCIE (Urdu: خواجہ ناظم الدین; Bengali: খাজা নাজিমুদ্দীন; 19 July 1894 – 22 October 1964) was a Bengali politician and statesman from the Dhaka Nawab Family. A member of the All India Muslim League, Nazimuddin served twice as the Prime Minister of Bengal in British India. After the establishment of Pakistan, he became the second Governor-General of Pakistan in 1948, following the death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. After the assassination of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951, Nazimuddin assumed office as the second Prime Minister of Pakistan.[1] A staunch conservative, he was an often unpopular political figure.
His government lasted only two years, but saw civil unrest and foreign challenges that led to their final dismissal. In response to the 1953 Lahore riots, Nazimuddin was the first to declare martial law in Punjab, under Major-General Azam Khan and Colonel Rahimuddin Khan, initiating a massive repression of the right-wing sphere in the country. His short tenure also saw the quick rise of socialism in West Pakistan after failing to enforce the reduced expenditure programme to alleviate poverty, and failed to counter the Awami League in East Pakistan (his native province) after the successful demonstration of the Bengali Language Movement – in both states the Muslim league was diminished. Foreign relations with the United States, the Soviet Union and India gradually declined, and anti-Pakistan sentiment persisted in those countries.
On 17 April 1953, Nazimuddin was dismissed and forced out of the government, and conceded his defeat in the 1954 general elections, and was succeeded by another Bengali statesman, Muhammad Ali Bogra. After a long illness, Nazimuddin died in 1964 at the age of 70, and was given a state funeral. He is buried at Suhrawardy Udyan, in his hometown of Dhaka.
Early life
He was born in Dacca, Bengal (now Dhaka, Bangladesh) into the family of the Nawabs of Dhaka.[2] He received his education from Dunstable Grammar School in England, then Aligarh Muslim University, and later Trinity Hall, Cambridge, until the mid-1930s. He was knighted in 1934.
Politics
After returning to British India, he became involved in politics in his native Bengal. He was the Chairman of Dhaka Municipality from 1922 to 1929.[3] In the arena of provincial politics, Nazimuddin was initially the Education Minister of Bengal, but climbed the ranks to become the Chief Minister of the province in 1943.[3] Sir Khawaja also became the head of the Muslim League in Eastern India. He set up a committee Basic Principles Committee in 1949 on the advice of Liaquat Ali Khan to determine the future constitutions of Pakistan.
Governor-General of Pakistan
Upon the formation of Pakistan, he became an important part of the early government. After the early death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Sir Khawaja succeeded him as the Governor-General of Pakistan. At this point in time, the position was largely ceremonial, and executive power rested with the Prime Minister. The first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated in 1951, and Sir Khawaja stepped in to replace him.
Prime Minister
During Sir Khawaja's time as Prime Minister, Pakistan saw a growing rift within the Muslim League, especially between Punjabi and Bengali groups, as those were the two largest ethnic groups of Pakistan, but were separated by India. On 21 February 1952, a demonstration in the Language movement demanding equal and official status to the Bengali language turned bloody, with many fatalities caused by police firings. This demonstration was vitally influenced by his remark following the previous statement of Qaid-e-Azam that Urdu shall be 'one and only' language of Pakistan. During his time in office, a framework was begun for a constitution that would allow Pakistan to become a republic, and end its Dominion status. Progress was made, but Sir Khawaja's time as Prime Minister would be cut short in 1953.
In 1953, a religious movement began to agitate for the removal of the Ahmadi religious minority from power positions, and demanded a declaration of this minority as non-Muslims. Sir Khawaja resisted such pressures; but mass rioting broke out in the Punjab against both the government and followers of this religious minority. He responded by changing the governor of that province to Feroz Khan Noon, but the decision came late.
Dismissal
Ghulam Muhammad, the Governor-General, asked the Prime Minister to step down. Sir Khawaja refused, but Ghulam Muhammad got his way by invoking a reserve power that allowed him to dismiss the Prime Minister. The Chief Justice, Muhammad Munir, of the "Federal Court of Pakistan" (now named as the Supreme Court of Pakistan), did not rule on the legality of the dismissal, but instead forced new elections. The new prime-minister was another Bengali born statesman, Muhammad Ali Bogra.
The dismissal of Sir Khawaja, the Prime Minister, by the Governor-General, Muhammad, signalled a troubling trend in Pakistani political history.
Death
Sir Khawaja died in 1964, aged 70.
He was buried at Suhrawardy Udyan in his hometown of Dhaka.[4]
Honours
He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1926, and was knighted in 1934 by the King-Emperor, George V, when he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE).[5] However, he renounced his knighthood in 1946 due to his belief in independence from Britain.
The Nazimabad and North Nazimabad suburbs of Karachi and Nazimuddin Roads of Dhaka and Islamabad have been named in honour of Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin. In his honour, the Pakistan Post issued a commemorative stamp in accordance to his respect.[6]
See also
- List of Prime Ministers of Pakistan
- Politics of Pakistan
- List of Pakistani heads of state or government
References
- ↑ "PakistanHerald.com : Khwaja Nazimuddin". Retrieved 12 January 2012.
- ↑ "The Official website of the Dhaka Nawab Family: Biographies". Retrieved 12 January 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Khwaja Nazimuddin". Story of Pakistan. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
- ↑ "Find A Grave Memorial". Retrieved 12 January 2012.
- ↑ http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/34056/pages/3560
- ↑ "Stamp of Sir Nazimuddin".
Current Events Biography, 1949
External links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy |
Chief Minister of East Bengal 1947–1948 |
Succeeded by Nurul Amin |
| Preceded by Muhammad Ali Jinnah |
Governor-General of Pakistan 1948–1951 |
Succeeded by Malik Ghulam Muhammad |
| Preceded by Liaquat Ali Khan |
Prime Minister of Pakistan 1951–1953 |
Succeeded by Muhammad Ali Bogra |
| Minister of Defence 1951–1953 | ||
| ||||||||
.png){kind=small}
| ||||||||
.jpg){kind=small}
