Bangladesh, A.K.Fazlul Huq (contd-2)

Huq joined the Khilafat Movement in 1919. But But he had differences with the Congress leaders on the question of Non-Cooperation. He supported the boycott of British goods and titles related to the programme of the Non-cooperation Movement adopted by the Congress in 1920. But he was opposed to the idea of boycotting of schools and colleges, particularly considering the backward condition of the Muslim community. He felt that the boycott resolution would hamper the progress of the Muslim boys and girls. He, therefore, left the Congress.

In 1920 Huq brought out a daily paper Nabajug edited by Kazi Nazrul Islam and Muzzaffar Ahmed. The deposit of this paper was confiscated several timesdue to the anti-Govt. policy. So he could not run this paper for long period. He devoted his time to the cause of Muslim education and became leading figure of the Muslim Educationa Conference. In 1924 he became the Education Minister for about six months dyarchy in Bengal. As education Minister he had undertaken several measures to create educational infrastructure inthe country.He assisted the deserving Muslim students by creating a muslim Educational Fund. He also made reservation of seats for Muslim students in all the Govt. educational Institutions affiliated to the Calcutta University.

His political strategy was to make the rural elite. He founded a sort lived Cacutta Agricultural Institution in 1917 and another Praja Party in 1929 which was transformed into Nekhil Banga Praja Samitywith Sir Abdur Rahman as president, himself and Khan Bahadur Abdul Momin as vice-presidents. Due to differences he renamed the samity as Krisak Praja Party (KPP) in 1935. Under his leadership the KPP started a mass movement to protect the rights of the peasants against the money-lenders and Zamindars. Thus LPP became popular and captured 35 seats in the state election of 1937 winning third highest position in the assembly and could form the first Bengal ministry of which Huq was the cheif-minister.

A. K. Fazlul Huq