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Revered as one of the pioneers of Tehreek-e-Azadi, as he rests in Mausoleum of Three Leaders in Dhaka, let me take you back to his life and times as a hero in βEnslavedβ India & a traitor in βFreeβ Pakistan. Bear with me. 1/40
Revered as one of the pioneers of Tehreek-e-Azadi, as he rests in Mausoleum of Three Leaders in Dhaka, let me take you back to his life and times as a hero in βEnslavedβ India & a traitor in βFreeβ Pakistan. Bear with me. 1/40
Date of Birth: September 8th, 1892
Place of Birth: Midnapore, West Bengal
Father's Name: Zahid Suharwardy
Father's Occupation: High Court Judge
Political Parties: Swaraj Party, Muslim League, Awami League
Alma Mater: Calcutta University, Oxford University. 2/40
Place of Birth: Midnapore, West Bengal
Father's Name: Zahid Suharwardy
Father's Occupation: High Court Judge
Political Parties: Swaraj Party, Muslim League, Awami League
Alma Mater: Calcutta University, Oxford University. 2/40
Education: BS Math, B. Civil Law, MA Arabic, Bar at Law.
Positions held: 3rd PM of Bengal, 5th PM of Pakistan, Lawyer, Political Organizer, Mayor of Calcutta, Legislative Assembly Member, Founder of Awami League, multiple ministries & more.
Died on: December 5th, 1963. 3/40
Positions held: 3rd PM of Bengal, 5th PM of Pakistan, Lawyer, Political Organizer, Mayor of Calcutta, Legislative Assembly Member, Founder of Awami League, multiple ministries & more.
Died on: December 5th, 1963. 3/40
Suharwardy hailed from an illustrious family of subcontinent. His father was a Judge at Calcutta High court, uncles had military background, brother was a linguist, poet & diplomat. His cousin Begum Shaista Ikramullah was one of the most prominent women in public service. 4/40
He got his early education from Calcutta Madrassa, the he went to Calcutta University for Higher Studies. He got admitted to Oxford University to study law & was called to the Bar in 1922. He came back to subcontinent, practiced and then became a political organizer. 5/40
Suhrawardy was credited as a pioneering modern political organizer in Bengal. He created 36 trade unions among sailors, railway employees, jute and cotton mills workers, rickshaw pullers, cart drivers and other working class groups dominated by Bengali Muslims. 6/40
Then he joined Swaraj Party in 1923 & became Dy Mayor of Calcutta in 1924 - left that position and party in favour of Muslim Leagueβs Bengal Branch, his father had assisted the ML in creation of this Branch in 1912. Hussain formed several political groups of Muslims. 7/40
In 1920s he made Calcutta Khilafat Committee after the dissolution of Ottoman Empire. In 1937, Suharwardy was elected for Legislative Assembly & became Minister of Labour & Commerce in 1st PM A.K Fazlul Haqβs Govt. Fazlul Haq presented Pakistan Resolution in 1940. 8/40
Pakistan Resolution had a major flaw of not specifically mentioning nature of new independent states; whether one state needed to be made for all Muslims or two separate states for different regions. This stirred a debate later & was one of reasons for Pakistan's breakup. 9/40
Under 2nd PM Nazimuddin, he served as minister of supplies. He blamed black marketers & central govt of Delhi for the Bengal Famine of 1943 during WW-II. In 1946 election, he led BPML to a decisive victory. Jinnahβs support made him the PM of Bengal. 10/40
βHad Suhrawardy not won the general election in Bengal in 1946, in the light of total failure of the Muslim League in all the other Muslim majority provinces, there would have been no Pakistanβ it is said. Under his supervision, MLβs Direct Action Day was observed. 11/40
Riots & killings made sure that the unity of India was not possible. Gandhi is believed to have said: βJinnah, there is your statesman; Liaquat, there is your politician; Suhrawardy, there is your leaderβ. In 1946-47 Suharwardy proposed a separate free country for Bengal. 12/40
Ch Rahmat Ali who had coined the name PAKISTAN didn't mention Bengal in it. Instead he had also proposed a separate country called Bang-e-Islam or Bangalistan but unfortunately, Suharwardy couldn't convince Quaid & situation also demanded unity so he gave up that idea. 13/40
On 20 June 1947, the Bengal Legislative Assembly met to vote on the partition of Bengal. At the preliminary joint session, the assembly decided by 120 votes to 90 that it should remain united if it joined the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. This was an achievement. 14/40
After the creation of Pakistan, Suharwardy remained at Calcutta for a while for personal commitments. Later he moved to Karachi. As the differencea grew up & language problem also caused grievances, he left the Muslim League & formed Awami League in 1949. 15/40
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, young activist of Tehreek-e-Azadi was his chief protege in East Pakistan. HSS became Law Minister under Bogra in 1953 but the crumbling govts made him think differently. He joined the alliance named Jukto Front for 1954 elections under Fazlul Haq. 16/40
Fazl-ul-Haq who had presented the Pakistan Resolution was labelled as a TRAITOR in 1954 after winning 223 out of 309 seats (97% votes) in East Pakistan. His government was overthrown under a conspiracy. Then we say EP broke away only b/c of Mujib. 17/40
Suhrawardy opposed one unit created by PM Ch M Ali but says Iskander Mirza forcibly made him PM: βHe took me on his plane, brought me back to Karachi, obtained the rather reluctant resignation of Ch Mohammad Ali and appointed me prime minister on September 12, 1956β. 18/40
As PM, he couldn't solve the issue of joint electorate & one unit in his short-lived tenure, but he made progresses in many sectors. He established Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), supported Atoms for Peace initiative, gathered funds to import reactor from US. 19/40
He tried to introduce Equal revenue sharing for both East & West Pakistan, went to US and asked for regular supply of Wheat & Rice. In EP, when there were reports of famine, he asked βWest Pakistan'sβ Fauji Foundation to send food to East Pakistan. 20/40
He established shipping corporation at the expense of West Pakistan's revenues. Iskander Mirza intervened. He's one of pioneers of Pakistan's Foreign Policy. Suhrawardy coined phrase βfriendship to all, malice to noneβ which was later adopted as Bangladesh's foreign policy. 21/40
He maintained relations both with US & China & paid visits to both countries. From India he wanted fair share in water resources; took the case of Occupied Kashmir to world powers & UN, tried to have talks & peace with Afghanistan. Within a year, he was forced to resign. 22/40
At this point, Sheikh Mujib had asked Suharwardy for a revolt which was turned down & Mujib was asked to quit that idea.
Later in 1958, Iskander Mirza joined hands with General Ayub to dismantle the constitution. Hussain Shaheed Suharwardy was arrested. 23/40
Later in 1958, Iskander Mirza joined hands with General Ayub to dismantle the constitution. Hussain Shaheed Suharwardy was arrested. 23/40
Dictator General Ayub introduced EBDO (Elected Bodies Disqualification Ordinance). Under the ordinance, many former ministers & influential leaders were disqualified for 6 years citing misuse of power, nepotism, corruption, etc. Suharwardy was also trialed under 7 charges. 24/40
He decided to fight charges. Although newspapers were censored, people still came out. His chamber used to be jam-packed with youth, mostly. His cousin Shaista Ikramullah tried to get the proceedings but failed. In short, Suharwardy was disqualified for 6 years in 1960. 25/40
This was the price he had to pay for giving his whole life for the cause of Pakistan. It damaged his reputation. He took it to heart & his health started to deteriorate. He was in jail in 1962 when allowed by govt to go abroad for treatment/asked not to involve in politics. 26/40
He kept his word & despite being asked by followers & cousin,he refused to comment or act against his commitment with government & then returned to Pakistan in a few months after treatment in same year however, Bhutto who was beneficiary of Gen Ayubβs regime threatened him. 27/40
Later he was released by govt for two weeks in the end of 1962. Crowds gathered on his way, his health was not in a position to sustain that & he was taken to Jinnah Hospital. On 22 July 1963, he again went to UK for treatment. This was his last tour. 28/40
Bhutto had warned him through a friend: βTell Suhrawardy not to try and return to Pakistan, otherwise I shall make sure personally that he never sets foot on its soilβ. Same bhutto threatened to break legs of those who would go to EP later in 1971. 29/40
Mujib & his Bengali nation (our East Pakistanis) were watching these miseries & sorrows of Suharwardy but he was the epitome of tolerance. Ever since the language movement, he had been writing letters to Mujib to stay calm, abide by the law & not to turn to violence. 30/40
He went to Beirut in search of life in September 1963 & three months later he died under mysterious circumstances. It was told that he died of cardiac arrest but alot of theories are still existent. 31/40
A book by MHR Talukdar says a CIA officer had warned the family, βTell your father to take great care of himself. The word is going round that they are out to get himβ. Three days later, he was dead & looking back, so were the hopes of keeping Pakistan intact. 32/40
Soon after his death, he was buried in Dhaka. A huge gathering gave him the last goodbye at his funeral. Begum Shaista Ikramullah writes that at his funeral this couplet came into her mind:
Ψ―ΩΨ±Ω ΨΫΨ§Ψͺ Ψ’Ψ¦Ϋ Ϊ―Ψ§ ΩΨ§ΨͺΩ ΩΨΆΨ§ Ϊ©Ϋ Ψ¨ΨΉΨ―
ΫΫ Ψ§Ψ¨ΨͺΨ―Ψ§ ΫΩ Ψ§Ψ±Ϋ ΨͺΨ±Ϋ Ψ§ΩΨͺΫΨ§ Ϊ©Ϋ Ψ¨ΨΉΨ―
33/40
Ψ―ΩΨ±Ω ΨΫΨ§Ψͺ Ψ’Ψ¦Ϋ Ϊ―Ψ§ ΩΨ§ΨͺΩ ΩΨΆΨ§ Ϊ©Ϋ Ψ¨ΨΉΨ―
ΫΫ Ψ§Ψ¨ΨͺΨ―Ψ§ ΫΩ Ψ§Ψ±Ϋ ΨͺΨ±Ϋ Ψ§ΩΨͺΫΨ§ Ϊ©Ϋ Ψ¨ΨΉΨ―
33/40
Mujib took over the command of Awami League & the final showdown was about to begin. He first joined hands for an alliance against Ayub for 1965 elections, gathered public support for Fatima Jinnah who was defeated through rigging and allegedly murdered through violence. 34/40
Pakistan's fate was written on the wall for those who could see it, but the ruling miltary elite (that still rules) was intoxicated in the lust for more power. When pacifist leaders are not allowed to achieve deliverance for their people, then violence comes in. 35/40
On 26 March 1971, East Pakistan seceded from Pakistan & on 16 December 1971 just eight years after Suharwardyβs death/martyrdom, Pakistani forces surrendered. We didn't learn the lesson but Bangladesh did honour him. 36/40
The ground were he was buried in 1963, where Mujib had delivered his famous speech & where Pakistani forces surrendered in 1971 is now known as Suharwardy Udyan. Usurpers of our country should be proud of this achievement. 37/40
Sheikh Mujib said: βBengalis had initially failed to appreciate a leader of Mr. Suhrawardy's stature. By the time they learned to value him, they had run out of timeβ. Pakistanis also didn't give him what he deserved. He was also called TRAITOR. 38/40
This is a pretty old tradition. Today, Imran Khan is TRAITOR. Suharwardy wrote maby letters to General Ayub Khan claiming his innocence & devotion to Pakistan but of no use. Some (taken from Shaista Ikramullahβs book) are attached. 39/40
This is our history & Asghar Khan rightly says: βWe have learnt nothing from historyβ. But my dear folks, history doesn't care about u, it keeps on repeating, brace yourselves. Today someone is trying to prove his patriotism to some treacherous individuals! Enough said. 40/40
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