Ataur Rahman Khan

{{Short description|Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1984 to 1986}} {{other people}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ataur Rahman Khan | native_name = আতাউর রহমান খান | native_name_lang = bn | image = Ataur Rahman Khan.jpg | caption = Khan in 1954 | image_size = | office = [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]] | president = [[Hossain Mohammad Ershad]] | term_start = 30 March 1984 | term_end = 9 July 1986 | predecessor = [[Shah Azizur Rahman]] | successor = [[Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury]] | order1 = | office1 = [[Chief Minister of East Pakistan]] | predecessor1 = [[Abu Hussain Sarkar]] | governor1 = [[Amiruddin Ahmad]] | prime_minister1 = | successor1 = ''Position abolished'' | term_start1 = 1 September 1956 | term_end1 = March 1958 | office2 = [[Leader of the Opposition (East Pakistan)|Leader of the Opposition of East Pakistan]] | term_start2 = 5 August 1955 | term_end2 = 1 September 1956 | leader2 = [[A. K. Fazlul Haq]] | predecessor2 = [[Basanta Kumar Das (Pakistani politician)|Basanta Kumar Das]] | successor2 = [[Abu Hussain Sarkar]] | office3 = [[Member of Parliament (Bangladesh)|Member of Parliament]] | term_start3 = 18 February 1979 | term_end3 = 24 March 1982 | predecessor3 = [[Moyez Uddin]] | successor3 = ''Position Abolished'' | constituency3 = Dhaka-21 | term_start4 = 7 March 1973 | term_end4 = 6 November 1975 | predecessor4 = ''Position Established'' | successor4 = [[Mohammad Habibullah]] | constituency4 = [[Dhaka-19]] | birth_date = {{birth date|1905|3|6|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Dhamrai Upazila|Dhamrai]], [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]], [[British Raj|British India]] | death_date = {{death date and age|1991|12|7|1905|3|6|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh | party = [[Jatiya League]] (1968–1984) [[Jatiya Party (Ershad)|Jatiya Party]] (1984–1991) | other_party = [[All-India Muslim League]] (before 1949) [[Bangladesh Awami League|Awami League]] (1949–1984) | alma_mater = [[Jagannath University]] [[University of Dhaka]] | children = [[Ziaur Rahman Khan]] }}

'''Ataur Rahman Khan''' ({{langx|bn|আতাউর রহমান খান}}; 6 March 1905<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=D6HKAgAAQBAJ&dq=Ataur+Rahman+Khan+March+6%2C+1905&pg=PA72 Profile of Ataur Rahman Khan]</ref> – 7 December 1991) was a Bangladeshi lawyer, politician and writer, who served as the [[Chief Minister of East Pakistan|chief minister of East Pakistan]] from 1 September 1956 – March 1958, and as the [[prime minister of Bangladesh]] from 30 March 1984 to 1 January 1985.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Khan |first=Muazzam Hussain |year=2012 |chapter=Khan, Ataur Rahman |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Khan,_Ataur_Rahman |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>

== Early life ==

Ataur Rahman Khan was born on 1 July 1905<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-12-07 |title=Ex-PM Ataur Rahman's anniversary of death today |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/ataur-rahmans-anniversary-death-today-1326319 |access-date=2022-12-22 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> at Balia village, [[Dhamrai Thana]], [[Dhaka district|Dhaka District]], [[East Bengal]], British India.<ref name=":0" /> He graduated from [[Pogose School]] in Dhaka in 1924.<ref name=":0" /> He then graduated from [[Jagannath College]] in 1927.<ref name=":0" /> He obtained a bachelor's degree in economics and law from the [[University of Dhaka]] in 1930 and 1936 respectively.<ref name=":0" />

[[File:1954 east bengal cabinet.jpg|thumb|Cabinet of East Bengal, 1954. Front row (from left): [[Khairat Hossain]], [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]], Chief Minister [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]], Ataur Rahman Khan, [[Basanta Kumar Das (Pakistani politician)|Basanta Kumar Das]], Mohammmed Ali. Back row (from left): Abdur Rahman Khan, [[Manoranjan Dhar]], [[Mashiur Rahman (politician, born 1924)|Mashiur Rahman]], [[Dhirendranath Datta]], [[Muhammad Mansur Ali|Captain Mansur Ali]].]]

== Career == Khan joined the Dhaka District Bar in 1937. He then joined the judicial branch of the Civil Service as a [[District Munsiff Court|munsiff]] in 1942 where he worked until 1944.<ref name=":0" /> He joined the [[Krishak Praja Samiti]] and served as the secretary of the Dhaka District unit.<ref name=":0" /> In 1944, he joined the [[All-India Muslim League|All India Muslim League]].<ref name=":0" /> He served as the vice president of the [[Manikganj District|Manikganj]] unit of the Muslim League.<ref name=":0" /> Khan joined the creation of the Awami Muslim League in 1949 and served as its vice-president until 1964.<ref name=":0" /> He was a leader of the [[Sarbadaliya Chhatra Sangram Parishad]], which played the leading role in the [[Bengali language movement]] in 1952 for making the Bengali language a state language of Pakistan.<ref name=":0" />

In 1954, Khan was the joint convenor of the [[United Front (East Pakistan)|United Front]] which won the provincial election.<ref name=":0" /> He himself was elected to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly and made the Ministry of Civil Supplies in the United Front government under [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]].<ref name=":0" /> In 1955, He was elected to the [[Constituent Assembly of Pakistan]].<ref name=":0" /> From 1955 to 1956, he was the leader of the opposition in the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly.<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Bangladesh National Press Club.jpg|thumb|[[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy|H S Suhrawardy]], [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]] visited the Press Club in 1958. Provincial Chief Minister Ataur Rahman Khan along with his cabinet colleagues and [[Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah]], Editor of [[The Daily Ittefaq]] and members of the Press Club are also seen in the photo.]]

After Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy became [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]], he got [[Abu Hussain Sarkar|Abu Hossain Sarkar]] to resign as Chief Minister of East Pakistan so that Khan could replace him.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chowdhury |first=Hamidul Huq |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3pIjwRq24YYC&dq=Ataur+Rahman+Khan&pg=PA190 |title=Memoirs |date=1989 |publisher=Associated Printers Ltd. |pages=190 |language=en}}</ref> Khan formed the government of East Pakistan on 1 September 1956 and became the chief minister of [[East Pakistan]].<ref name=":0" /> He found himself in a power struggle with the Awami League General Secretary, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Prasad |first=Ram Narayan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mB9N4oxuSY8C&dq=Ataur+Rahman+Khan&pg=PA238 |title=Government and Politics in Mizoram |date=1987 |publisher=Northern Book Centre |isbn=978-81-85119-44-1 |pages=238 |language=en}}</ref> Sheikh Mujib was more popular with Awami League party workers than Khan.<ref name=":1" /> His government lasted until March 1958.<ref name=":0" /> On 31 March 1958, Governor [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]] removed Khan from the post of chief minister and appointed Abu Hossain Sarkar.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Hashmi |first=Taj |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EWBsEAAAQBAJ&dq=Ataur+Rahman+Khan&pg=PA64 |title=Fifty Years of Bangladesh, 1971-2021: Crises of Culture, Development, Governance, and Identity |date=2022-04-22 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-3-030-97158-8 |pages=64 |language=en}}</ref> Huq was removed from the post of governor by President [[Iskandar Ali Mirza|Iskander Mirza]] and Khan was back as the chief minister of East Pakistan in 12 hours.<ref name=":2" /> President's rule was declared and two months later, Khan was again the chief minister.<ref name=":2" /> There was a brawl in the East Bengal Legislative Assembly in which Deputy Speaker Shahed Ali Patwary was killed and General [[Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan)|Ayub Khan]] took over power in Pakistan when martial law was declared in Pakistan.<ref name=":2" /> He had been removed and restored to the post of chief minister three times in one year.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Graça |first1=J. Da |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M0YfDgAAQBAJ&dq=Ataur+Rahman+Khan&pg=PA123 |title=Heads of State and Government |last2=Graça |first2=John Da |date=2017-02-13 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-349-65771-1 |pages=123 |language=en}}</ref> He and Suhrawardy's central and provincial government was criticised by [[Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani]], leader of the leftist fraction of Awami League, while supported by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the nationalist fraction of Awami League.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nabī |first=Nūruna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_x8ZSDg-9wIC&dq=Ataur+Rahman+Khan&pg=PA127 |title=Bullets of '71: A Freedom Fighter's Story |date=2010 |publisher=AuthorHouse |isbn=978-1-4520-4377-7 |pages=127 |language=en}}</ref> He worked with [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy|Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy]] under the [[National Democratic Front (Pakistan)|National Democratic Front]] to restore democracy to Pakistan.<ref name=":0" /> Khan had succeed Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy as President of Awami League in 1963 further deteriorating relationship with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rahman |first=Syedur |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bJfcCPUr0OoC&dq=Ataur+Rahman+Khan&pg=PA31 |title=Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh |date=2010-04-27 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7453-4 |pages=31 |language=en}}</ref> In 1969, he was elected president of Dhaka High Court Bar Association.<ref name=":0" /> In 1969, he created a new political party called [[Jatiya League]] over differences with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Chakrabarti |first1=Kunal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QVOFAAAAQBAJ&dq=Ataur+Rahman+Khan&pg=PA257 |title=Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis |last2=Chakrabarti |first2=Shubhra |date=2013-08-22 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-8024-5 |pages=257 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1970, Khan contested the elections for the national assembly but lost.<ref name=":0" /> During the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]], Khan was detained for six months by Pakistan Army and released in September.<ref name=":0" /> After the independence of Bangladesh, he was elected to the parliament of Bangladesh in 1973.<ref name=":0" /> In 1975, he joined the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman-led [[Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League]] government.<ref name=":0" /> He revived his Jatiya League after the government was removed from power in a series of coups.<ref name=":0" />

Khan was elected to parliament in 1979.<ref name=":0" /> He campaigned against the rule of General [[Hussain Muhammad Ershad|Hussain Mohammad Ershad]], before joining him. He was made the [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh|Prime Minister]] in 1984, which he held until 1 January 1985.<ref name=":0" />

== Pakistan Football Federation == Khan served as president of the [[Pakistan Football Federation]] between 1958 and 1960.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pakistan Football Federation |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404135433if_/http://www.pff.com.pk/history.php}}</ref>

==Bibliography== * ''Ojarotir Dui Bochhor'' (1963)<ref name=":0" /> * ''Shoiracharer Dosh Bochhor'' (1969)<ref name=":0" /> * ''Prodhan-Montritter Noi Maash'' (1987)<ref name=":0" /> * ''Oboruddhor Noi Maash'' (1990).<ref name=":0" />

==Death== Khan died in Dhaka on 7 December 1991 at the age of 86<ref name=":0" /> and is buried inside parliament grounds.<ref name=":3" /> His son, [[Ziaur Rahman Khan]] (died 2021),<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-04-27 |title=Barrister Ziaur Rahman Khan laid to rest |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/barrister-ziaur-rahman-khan-laid-rest-2084501 |access-date=2022-12-22 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> was a member of parliament from [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=2018-12-10 |title=Ziaur 'not allowed' to visit his father Ataur Rahman's grave |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/ziaur-not-allowed-visit-his-father-ataur-rahmans-grave-1671529 |access-date=2022-12-21 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> His son and grandson were denied access to the grave without a security pass by the police guarding the parliament.<ref name=":3" /> The Bangladesh Nationalist Party organizes remembrance events on his death anniversary.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-12-08 |title=Ataur Rahman fought for democratic rights |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/ataur-rahman-fought-democratic-rights-1326808 |access-date=2022-12-22 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}} {{Prime Ministers of Bangladesh}} {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[Shah Azizur Rahman]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]]|years=1984–1986}} {{s-aft|after={{nowrap|[[Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury]]}}}} |- {{s-dip}} {{s-bef|before=New Office}} {{s-ttl|title=Chairperson of [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|SAARC]]|years=1985}} {{s-aft|after=[[Rajiv Gandhi]]}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Ataur Rahman}} [[Category:1991 deaths]] [[Category:Jatiya Party (Ershad) politicians]] [[Category:Prime ministers of Bangladesh]] [[Category:1905 births]] [[Category:Krishak Sramik Party politicians]] [[Category:People from Balia]] [[Category:Politicians from Dhaka Division]] [[Category:Pakistani MNAs 1955–1958]] [[Category:20th-century Bengali people]] [[Category:Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League central committee members]] [[Category:Chief ministers of East Pakistan]] [[Category:University of Dhaka alumni]] [[Category:Pogose School alumni]] [[Category:East Pakistan MLAs 1954–1958]] [[Category:Bangladesh independence activists]] [[Category:Presidents of the Pakistan Football Federation]] [[Category:Former Awami League politicians]] [[Category:All-Pakistan Awami League politicians]] [[Category:Provincial ministers of East Pakistan]] [[Category:Leaders of the opposition in the Provincial Assembly of East Pakistan]]