Kazi Zafar Ahmed
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| Kazi Zafar Ahmed | |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister of Bangladesh | |
| In office 12 August 1989 – 6 December 1990 |
|
| President | Hossain Mohammad Ershad |
| Preceded by | Moudud Ahmed |
| Succeeded by | Khaleda Zia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1939 Chauddagram, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 27 August 2015 (aged 76) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Political party | Jatiya Party (1984–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
National Awami Party (NAP), United Peoples Party-UPP (Before 1984) |
| Alma mater | University of Dhaka |
Kazi Zafar Ahmed (
i//1939 – 27 August 2015)[1] was a Bangladeshi politician who was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1989 to 1990.
Early life
Ahmed was born in Chauddagram Upazila in Comilla, British India (now Bangladesh).[2] He was originally a student leader at the Dhaka University. He served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 20 March, 1989 to 6 December, 1990. He has a M.A. degree in history from Dhaka University.
Political career
Ahmed was a student leader who spearheaded the first popular revolt against the military ruler Ayub Khan in 1962 which eventually led to the relaxation of Gen. Ayub's iron rule and the release of imprisoned political leaders. He later became a labour leader, mainly concentrating in organising the workers in the Tongi industrial area. He was also the leader of a pro-Chinese faction that broke away from the Communist Party in 1966. He was among the first to demand the independence of East Pakistan and on February 22, 1970 from a grand rally of students, workers and general masses at the historic Paltan Maidan declared the programme for establishing an independent Peoples' Democratic Republic of Bangladesh.
After independence, he joined the National Awami Party of Maulana Bhashani and became its Secretary General. He declared to form a responsible opposition party. Later he formed the United Peoples' Party (UPP) in 1974. He took the UPP to a coalition government with President Ziaur Rahman after he assumed the presidency through a referendum. Ahmed became Education Minister, but left the coalition due to irreconcilable differences. However, many of his former colleagues joined Zia's new party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Prominent among them were Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Abdullah Al-Noman who later became BNP's secretary general and organising secretary, respectively.
Ahmed also played a leading role in the anti military role of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad. But the period since 1975 in Bangladesh witnessed realignment of politics and leaders leaving their old parties and joining new ones. Ahmed dissolved his UPP and joined President Ershad's Jatiya Party (JP). He served the Ershad Government as Commerce Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and finally as Prime Minister.[3]
After the fall of the Ershad Government, Ahmed came to Australia[4] for the treatment of his kidney. He was then appointed as Distinguished Visiting Professor by the University of Western Sydney. He delivered a number of public lectures on the Indian Independence Movement against British Rule, geo-political developments in the subcontinent and the Education in Bangladesh.
References
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Bangladesh 1989–1990 |
Succeeded by Khaleda Zia |
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