Hamidul Huq Choudhury

Hamidul Huq Choudhury (1901 - 1992) was born in Noakhali District, Bengal (subsequently East Pakistan and now Bangladesh) during the British Raj. He was educated in Dhaka and Calcutta, and had a varied, distinguished and at times controversial career as a lawyer, politician and newspaper proprietor.

Hamidul Huq was educated at the Dacca Collegiate School (Dhaka), Presidency College (Calcutta) and the Law College, Calcutta University (Calcutta). He was admitted as an Advocate before the Calcutta High Court and served for a time as a Crown Prosecutor. Hamidul Huq also served as a Legal Remembrancer for the Calcutta High Court. Following Partition in 1947, he had a long and distinguised legal practice before the Pakistan and subsequently Bangladesh High Courts, and celebrated his Golden Jubilee (50 years) as an advocate and member of the legal profession in 1987, at his residence, Neerala Garden House, Tejgaon, in Dhaka.

Hamidul Huq was elected to the Bengal Legislative Council in 1937 (serving as Deputy President of the Council) and was re-elected to the body in 1946. During his tenure on the Council, Hamidul Huq was a member of the Bengal Imperial Agriculture Council, Central Sugarcane Committee, Handloom Board, Textile Control Board and Industrial Development Enquiry Committee, and also a Fellow of Calcutta University. In 1947, Hamidul Huq represented the Muslim League before Sir Cyril Radcliffe's Boundary Commission.

Following Partition in 1947, Hamidul Huq moved with his family to Dhaka, East Pakistan. He was elected to the Pakistan Constitutional Assembly and was also a member of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly, during which time he served as the Minister for Finance, Commerce, Labour & Industries (1947-49). Subsequently Hamidul was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1955 as a leader of the United Front Party and served as the fourth Foreign Minister of Pakistan (1955-56). Hamidul Huq participated in the Round Table Conference of Pakistani government and opposition leaders in Rawalpindi in 1969.

Hamidul Huq was the Founder Chairman of The Bangladesh Observer, which he established in Dhaka in 1949.

Hamidul Huq was married to Halima Banu. He died in Dhaka on 21 January, 1992.

References

Memoirs. Hamidul Huq Chowdhury. Associated Printers (1989).

A Biographical Dictionary, Muslims in India (Pages 144-45, Vol. 1). Vanguard Books Ltd., 8 Davis Road, London, United Kingdom (1985).