Khawaja Nazimuddin

Family background, early life and education

Nazimuddin was born into an aristocratic and wealthy family of the Nawabs of Dhaka, Dacca, Bengal, on 19 July 1894.^{[7][8][9]:1895[10]:xxx} He was the maternal grandson of Nawab Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah and his mother, Bilquis Bano, was notable for her own statue.^[11] Nazimuddin had a younger brother, Khwaja Shahabuddin, who would later played a vital role in national politics onwards.^{[12]:76[11]:xxx} Being of Kashmiri-Bengali descent, his family spoke both Urdu and Bengali.^[13] They were the first cousin of Nawab Khwaja Habibullah son of Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur who helped laid foundation of Muslim League in 1906.^[14]

He was educated at the Dunstable Grammar School in England but returned to India following his matriculation where he enrolled to attend the MAO College of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh, India.^[15] Nazimuddin secured his graduation with a BA degree in Sociology from AMU and was sent back to England to pursue higher education.^[16] During his time at AMU, he was known to be an avid Tennis player and excelled in this sport when he represented his university in collegiate games.^[12]:76

After AMU, Nazimuddin went to England and attended Trinity College at Cambridge University. He was granted his MA degree in English by Cambridge University.^{[17]:449–450} His training in England enabled him to practice law and become a Barrister-at-Law in England.^[15] He was knighted in 1934.^[18] In 1947–49, Nazimuddin was granted the degree of Doctor of Laws by the Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University, Dr. Mahmud Hasan.^[19]:161

Public service and Independence movement

Nazimuddin returned to India to join his brother Khwaja Shahbuddin from England, taking interest in civil and public affairs that led him to join the Bengali politics.^[20] Both brother joined the Muslim League, and Nazimuddin successfully ran for the municipality election and elected as Chairman of Dhaka Municipality from 1922 until 1929.^[9] During this time, he was appointed as Education minister and later secured a political appointment in Viceroy's Executive Council in 1934 which he served until 1937.^[21]

He participated in regional elections held on 1937 on a Muslim League's platform but conceded his defeat in favor of Fazlul Haq of Krishak Praja Part (KPP) who was appointed as Prime Minister of Bengal, while assuming his personal role as member of the legislative assembly.^[22][23]:69

In the India Office Records, Political and Secret Department Records (1756–1950), Category L/P&S, Record 5/250, 3/79, one comes across the Fortnightly Report (February 1947) to the Viceroy by the then Governor of Punjab Sir Evan Jenkins. According to this report when inquired about the Pakistan project, Khawaja Nazimuddin candidly told him that ″he did not know what Pakistan means and that nobody in the Muslim League knew.″ This remark clearly shows that so few as six months before the creation of Pakistan, even senior Muslim League leaders had no clarity as to the basic features of the State they were asking for.^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Home and Prime Minister of Bengal and Chief Minister of East Bengal (1940–47)

Upon the formation of the coalition government in an agreement facilitated between Muslim League and the Krishak Praja Party, Nazimuddin was appointed as the home minister under Haq's premiership., which he continued until 1943.^[24]:331

Due to his conservative elite position, he became close associate of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, then-President of Muslim League, who appointed him as a member of the executive committee to successfully promote Muslim League' party agenda and program that gained popularity in East Bengal.^[24]:332[25] In 1940–41, Nazimuddin broke away from the coalition led by Premier Fazlul Haq and decided to become a leader of the opposition, leading campaign against Haq's premiership and primarily focused on Bengali nationalism issues.^[24]:332 In 1943, Nazimuddin took over the government from Premier Haq when the latter was dismissed by the Governor John Herbert amid controversies surrounding in his political campaigns.^[26] During this time, Nazimuddin played a crucial political role for the cause for the separate Muslim homeland, Pakistan.^[24]:332 About his role, he was asked about the "Pakistan question" by British Governor Richard Casey in 1945 but he showed very little and no interests in discussing the existence of the movement and reportedly quoting: he did not know what Pakistan means and nobody in Muslim League knew."^[27]

His premiership lasted until 1945 when a motion of no confidence and faced with defeat in the assembly hall by 160 to 97 votes that effectively ended his premiership.^[28]:106 He relinquished the office to Nausher Ali, an Indian nationalist Muslim and a prominent member of Congress Party who the speaker of the assembly, but the administration was taken over by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.^[28]:106[29]

From 1945–47, Sir Nazimuddin continued to be served as the chairman of the Muslim League in Bengal, ardently supporting the political cause for Pakistan against the Congress Party.^[24]:333 During this time, he had been in brief conflict with Premier Suhrawardy and strongly opposed the United Bengal Movement and led a strong parliamentary opposition in the assembly against Suhrawardy's administration in April 1947. The conflict between two men mainly existed because Suhrawardy had represented the middle class while Nazimuddin was representing the aristocracy in the assembly.^[30]

In 1947, he again contested in the party elections in the Muslim League against Suhrawardy's platform and securing his nomination as the party chairman for the Muslim League's East Bengal chapter.^[31]:49–50 His success in the party election eventually led him to the appointed as the first Chief Minister of East Bengal after the partition of India in 1947 and effectively gained controlled of the Muslim League in the province.^[31]:50

As the Chief Minister, he led the motion of confidence that ultimately voted in favor of joining the federation of Pakistan and reorganized the Government of East Pakistan by delegating conservative members in his administration.^[31]:49–50

Nazimuddin administration

Nazimuddin, with M.G. Muhammad in New York City, ca. 1948.

After the assassination of Liaqat Ali Khan in 1951, the Muslim League leaders asked Governor-General Nazimuddin to take over the business of the government as well as the party's presidency as there was no other person found suitable for the post.^[37][9]:233 He appointed Finance Minister Sir Malik Ghulam as Governor-General's post.^[9] Nazimuddin's government focused towards promoting the political programs aimed towards conservative ideas.^[38] During his time in office, a framework was begun for a constitution that would allow Pakistan to become a republic, and end its Dominion status under the English monarchy.

Nazimuddin's administration took place during a poor economy and the rise of provincial nationalism in four provinces and East Bengal which made him unable to run the country's affairs effectively.^{[39]:121–122} By 1951–52, the Muslim League had split into two different factions dominated by the Bengali chapter and Punjab-Sindh chapter, as those were the two largest ethnic demographics, but were separated by India.^[37]:235

In 1951, Prime Minister Nazimuddin's government conducted the country's first nationwide census where it was noted that 57% population of the country was Indian immigrants, mostly residing in Karachi that further complicated the situation in the country.^[40]:xxx In January 1952, Prime Minister Nazimuddin publicly announced in Dacca's meeting that: Jinnah had been right: for the sake of Pakistan's national unity, Urdu must be the official language of Pakistan–East and West.^[41]:153 On 21 February 1952, a demonstration in the Bengali Language movement demanding equal and official status to the Bengali language turned bloody, with many fatalities caused by police firings.^[42]:137 This demonstration was held when he declared Urdu the National Language of Pakistan, following the previous statement of Muhammad Ali Jinnah that Urdu shall be 'one and only' language of Pakistan.^[43]

In 1953, a violent religious movement led by far-right Jamaat-e-Islami began to agitate for the removal of the Ahmadi religious minority from power positions, and demanded a declaration of this minority as non-Muslims.^[44]:60

Nazimuddin was held morally responsible for riots being spread and resisted such pressures;^[44]:60 but mass rioting broke out in Punjab against both the government and followers of this religious minority.^[44]:60–61 Prime Minister Nazimuddin responded to the violence by dismissing the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mumtaz Daultana, to Feroz Khan Noon, but the decision came late.^[45]:17 He declared martial law and enforced through Lieutenant General Azam Khan who successfully quelled the agitation.^{[45]:17–18[46]:158}

Later life and death

Mausoleum of three leaders at Dhaka

Even after his dismissal, he and his family remained active in parliamentary politics; his nephew, Khwaja Wasiuddin, an army general serving as GOC-in-C II Corps and later repatriated to Bangladesh in 1974.

His younger brother, Shahabuddin, remained active in the politics and eventually ascended as Information minister in the President Ayub Khan's administration.^[50]:559 Sir Khawaja died in 1964, aged 70. He was buried at Mausoleum of three leaders in his hometown of Dhaka.^[51][52]

Wealth and honours

Nazimuddin and his brother, Shahabuddin, belonged to an aristocrat wealthy family who were known for their wealth. In thesis written by Joya Chatterji, Nazimuddin was described for unquestionable loyalty to British administration in India:

Short statured with a bulging pear-like figure, he was known for his insatiable appetite and his unfailing submission to the .... Britishers... Dressed in British-styled Sherwani and breechers-like Churidar pajamas with a Fez cap and wearing little shoes, he carried a... cane of knob and represented an age and tradition.

— Joya Chatterji, Bengal Divided: Hindu Communalism and Partition, Reference ^[21]:80

By 1934, the family had estates that covered almost 200,000 acres and was well spread over seven district of Eastern Bengal, together with Shillong and Assam with an yearly rent of ₤120,000 ($2,736,497.94 in 2017).^[21]:80 By 1960s, the majority of estate was relocated from East Pakistan to the different areas of Pakistan, leaving very little of his estate in East.^[21]:80

He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1926, and was knighted in 1934 by the King-Emperor, George V, when he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE).^[53]

By the Government of Pakistan, Nazimuddin has been honored from time to time after his death. In Karachi, the residential areas, Nazimabad and North Nazimabad in suburbs of Karachi, had been named after his name. In Islamabad, there is a road intersection, Nazimuddin Road, that has been named in his honor; while in Dacca, there is also a road after his namesake.

In his honour, the Pakistan Post issued a commemorative stamp in accordance to his respect.^[54]