Ataur Rahman Khan

Ataur Rahman Khan was a Bangladeshi lawyer, politician and writer who held high offices in both East Pakistan and Bangladesh. He served as the chief minister of East Pakistan from 1 September 1956 until March 1958. Later, he became the prime minister of Bangladesh between 30 March 1984 and 1 January 1985.

Early life and education

Khan was born on 1 July 1905 at Balia village in Dhamrai Thana, Dhaka District. He completed his studies at Pogose School in Dhaka in 1924. After this, he graduated from Jagannath College in 1927. He later obtained a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Dhaka in 1930. He finished his legal studies at the same university in 1936.

Career

He joined the Dhaka District Bar in 1937 to begin his legal career. In 1942, he entered the judicial branch of the Civil Service as a munsiff. He held this position until 1944. During this era, he served as the secretary of the Dhaka District unit for the Krishak Praja Samiti. He joined the All India Muslim League in 1944 and acted as the vice president of its Manikganj unit.

Khan helped create the Awami Muslim League in 1949. He held the role of vice-president for that party until 1964. As a leader of the Sarbadaliya Chhatra Sangram Parishad, he participated in the 1952 Bengali language movement. This movement sought to establish Bengali as a state language of Pakistan.

In 1954, he acted as the joint convenor of the United Front, which won the provincial election. He was elected to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly and served in the Ministry of Civil Supplies under A. K. Fazlul Huq. His political trajectory continued when he was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in 1955. Between 1955 and 1956, he led the opposition in the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly.

Following the appointment of Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy as Prime Minister, Khan became the chief minister of East Pakistan on 1 September 1956. He faced a power struggle with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was more popular among party workers. His initial term ended in March 1958. However, political shifts led to a chaotic period where he was removed and restored to his post three times within a single year. This instability occurred alongside the declaration of martial law by General Ayub Khan.

Khan succeeded Suhrawardy as President of the Awami League in 1963. Because of disagreements with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he founded the Jatiya League in 1969. That same year, he was elected president of the Dhaka High Court Bar Association. He lost his 1970 election bid for the national assembly. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Pakistan Army detained him for six months until his release in September.

After independence, he entered the parliament of Bangladesh in 1973. He joined the government led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. He later revived the Jatiya League after several coups removed the government from power. Khan was elected to parliament again in 1979. Although he campaigned against General Hussain Mohammad Ershad, he eventually joined him and served as Prime Minister from 1984 to 1985.

He also held a leadership role in sports. Khan served as the president of the Pakistan Football Federation between 1958 and 1960.

Personal life

Khan died in Dhaka on 7 December 1991 at the age of 86. He is buried within the parliament grounds. His son, Ziaur Rahman Khan, was a member of parliament for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party before he died in 2021. Reports indicate that police guarding the parliament denied the son and grandson access to the grave without a security pass.

He was also a prolific writer. His published works include Ojarotir Dui Bochhor (1963), Shoiracharer Dosh Bochhor (1969), Prodhan-Montritter Noi Maash (1987) and Oboruddhor Noi Maash (1990).