Nurul Amin

Nurul Amin was a Pakistani politician and jurist who served as the eighth prime minister of Pakistan. His tenure lasted from 7 December to 20 December 1971, making it the shortest premiership in the nation's history. He also held the position of vice president from 1970 to 1972.

Early life and education

Amin was born on 15 July 1893 in Shahbazpur, Sarail, which is located in the Tippera District of the Bengal Presidency. He came from a Bengali Muslim family residing in the village of Bahadurpur within the Mymensingh District. His father worked as a zamindar, while his grandfather held the position of Aʻlā Ṣadr under the Nawabs of Bengal.

He passed his college entrance examination at Mymensingh Zilla School in 1915. Two years later, he joined Ananda Mohan College to obtain an Intermediate in Arts degree. Amin eventually graduated with a bachelor's degree in English literature in 1919. He initially taught at Gaffargaon Islamia Government High School and another local school in Calcutta before choosing a legal path. In 1920, he began studies at the University of Calcutta where he earned an LLB in Law and Justice in 1924. He passed the Bar exam that same year and started his professional career at the Mymensingh Judge Court Bar.

Career

Amin entered public service in 1929 when he was appointed a member of the Mymensingh Local Board. He joined the Mymensingh District Board in 1930 and became the commissioner of Mymensingh Municipality in 1932. From 1937 until 1945, he served as the Chairman of the Mymensingh District Board. During this period, he became an early member of the All-India Muslim League under Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He later served as the President of the Mymensingh district unit and was elected vice-president of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League in 1944.

Following a landslide victory in the 1945 Indian general elections, Amin became a Member of the assembly. He was elected as the Speaker General of the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1946. As a trusted lieutenant of Jinnah, he organized Bengali Muslims and actively participated in the Pakistan Movement. He assisted Jinnah during his visit to Bengal in 1946 to promote Muslim unity.

In September 1948, Khawaja Nazimuddin nominated Amin as the Chief Minister of East Bengal. While serving in this role, he also headed the Ministry of Supply. He was a member of the Pakistan National Assembly from 1947 until 1954. Historians report that his government lacked sufficient power because it remained under the control of the central government. Amin blamed the Communist Party for the rise of the 1952 language movement, which he opposed.

The 1954 provisional elections resulted in a defeat for the Muslim League. Amin lost his assembly seat to Khaleque Nawaz Khan during this political turnover. Although he served as president of the East Pakistan Muslim League, his career was halted when General Mohammad Ayub Khan imposed martial law in 1958. He later ran in the 1965 presidential elections in East Pakistan and won the majority vote in the Parliament of Pakistan.

In June 1969, Amin merged his National Democratic Front with several other groups to form the Pakistan Democratic Party. He was elected as the president of this moderate party at its first convention. Following the 1970 general election, he was appointed Prime Minister of Pakistan. He also served as the first and only vice president of the country.

Personal life

Amin was born into a family with significant local standing in the Mymensingh District. His lineage included both a zamindar and a district judge. He spent his early professional years working as a teacher in local schools before transitioning into the legal profession.