KHAWAJA NAZIMUDDIN

Khawaja Nazimuddin was born in Dhaka on July 19, 1894. He belonged to an aristocratic family. His father Khawaja Nizamuddin was a rich landlord. He was educated at the MAO College, Aligarh and in England at Dunstable Grammar School. He did his postgraduation from the Trinity Hall, Cambridge and then obtained Bar-at-Law.

He entered politics in 1922 and served as Chairman Dhaka Municipality from 1922 to 1929. Khawaja Nazimuddin became a Member of the Bengal Legislative Council in 1923 and remained Education Minister, Bengal from 1929 to 1934. He remained Member of the Executive Council from 1934 to 1937.

In 1937, Khawaja Nazimuddin again became a (Muslim League) Member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly and became the Home Minister in Maulvi A. K. Fazlul Haq's coalition Ministry in Bengal; but when the League withdrew its support he resigned in December 1941. He remained Leader of Muslim League Parliamentary Party and of the Opposition in the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1942-43 and Muslim League Chief Minister of Bengal from Apri11943 to March 1945. He remained a Member of the All India Muslim League Working Committee for ten years from 1937 to 1947. He was an ardent advocate of the Pakistan Movement and was one of the closest associates of the Quaid-e-Azam.

Khawaja Nazimuddin was Member of the Indian Food Delegation to the USA and also represented India in the last session of the League of Nations. held in Geneva in 1946.

He is also credited in history for bringing out the first Muslim English daily "The Star of India" from Calcutta and along with Khan Bahadur Abdul Momin, he started the Muslim Chamber of Commerce in Calcutta.

After the crestion of Pakistan in 1947 he became a Member of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly and the first Chief Minister of East Bengal. After the death of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah on September 25, 1948 Khawaja Nazimuddin became the second Governor General of Pakistan.

After Liaquat Ali Khan's death on October 16, 1951 he was appointed as the second Prime Minister of Pakistan in October 1951 and remained so till Apri11953. He also became the President of the Muslim League.

For a few years he remained out of active politics but in 1964 he worked indefatigably for the revival of democratic institutions in Pakistan when he led, along with the other stalwarts of the freedom Movement, the campaign of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah in her 'Presidential ' contest against the then President of Pakistan Mohammad Ayub Khan.

The hectic Political activities in the year 1964 told upon him and he died on October 22,1964.