Forum Pakistan

Haq, Abdul Kassem Fazlul, Moulvi (1873-1962)
Statesman. Called Sher-i-Bangla (Tiger of Bengal), A.K. Fazlul Haq was one of the earliest Muslim politicians of Bengal with a rural base and representative of the vernacular classes. He graduated in Arts and Law from the University of Calcutta in 1896. He was President of the * All-India Muslim League intermittently. In 1927, he founded the Krishak Proja Party (later named the Krishak Sramik Party), representing the peasantry. After the elections of 1937, after some initial flirtation with the Congress, Huq formed a coalition government in Bengal province with the *Muslim League. He went on to move the famous *Lahore Resolution of 1940. His relationship with the Muslim League remained erratic and he split from the Party in 1943.

After the creation of Pakistan, A.K. Fazlul Haq was first Advocate-General for East Bengal but, following the overwhelming victory of the Jugto Front in the 1954 provincial assembly elections, he became Chief Minister of East Bengal. His controversial remarks, questioning the raison d' etre of Pakistan during a visit to Calcutta, led to a number of protest meetings in East Bengal, and one, according to H.S. *Suhrawardy, presided over by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan *Bhashani. This incident strained Fazlul HaqSuhrawardy relations and, on the latter's crossing over to the opposition, Fazlul Haq joined the Central cabinet as Law Minister in August 1955 and stayed until March 1956. From 1956 to 1958, he was Governor of *East Pakistan. After the military takeover of 1958, Fazlul Haq led a life of political retirement.

WORKS: 'Muslim Sufferings under Congress Rule', Calcutta, 1939.