Kazi Zafar Ahmed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kazi Zafar Ahmad
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| 8th Prime Minister of Bangladesh | |
| In office 12 August 1989 – 6 December 1990 |
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| President | Hossain Mohammad Ershad |
| Deputy | Shah Moazzem Hossain |
| Preceded by | Moudud Ahmed |
| Succeeded by | Khaleda Zia |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Bangladesh | |
| In office 27 March 1988 – 12 August 1989 |
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| President | Hossain Mohammad Ershad |
| Prime Minister | Moudud Ahmed |
| Preceded by | Moudud Ahmed |
| Succeeded by | No successor |
| In office 9 July 1986 – 10 August 1987 |
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| President | Hossain Mohammad Ershad |
| Prime Minister | Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury |
| Preceded by | Jamal Uddin Ahmad |
| Succeeded by | Shah Moazzem Hossain |
| 6th Leader of the House | |
| In office 12 August 1989 – 6 December 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Moudud Ahmed |
| Succeeded by | Khaleda Zia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 July 1939 Chauddagram, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 27 August 2015 (aged 76) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Political party | Jatiya Party (1984–2013) Jatiya Party (Zafar) (2013–2015) |
| Other political affiliations |
National Awami Party (NAP), United Peoples Party-UPP (before 1984) |
| Alma mater | University of Dhaka |
Kazi Zafar Ahmad (
i/ˈkɑːzi ˈz[unsupported input]ɑːr ˈ[unsupported input]mɛd/; Bengali: কাজী জাফর আহমেদ) was an important politician from Bangladesh. He was born on July 1, 1939, and passed away on August 27, 2015. He served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1989 to 1990.
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Early Life and Education
Kazi Zafar Ahmad was born in 1939 in a village called Kazi Bari in Chauddagram Upazila, which is in the Comilla District of what was then British India. This area is now part of Bangladesh.
He was a freedom fighter, meaning he took part in the fight for Bangladesh's independence. He was also a student leader at the University of Dhaka. There, he earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in history.
Political Journey and Leadership
Kazi Zafar Ahmad began his political journey as a student leader. From 1962 to 1963, he was the General Secretary of the East Pakistan Chattra Union, a student organization.
Early Political Beliefs
In 1966, he joined a Communist Party that followed Maoist ideas. He became a leader for workers, especially in the Tongi industrial area, helping to organize them. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, he supported the Mujibnagar government, which led the independence movement.
After Bangladesh's Independence
After Bangladesh became independent, Kazi Zafar Ahmad joined the National Awami Party led by Maulana Bhashani. He became the Secretary General of this party. He supported Maulana Bhashani's idea of Islamic socialism. He wanted to create a strong opposition party to keep the government in check.
Later, in 1974, he formed his own party called the United Peoples' Party (UPP) with Captain Abdul Halim Chowdhury. He also worked with the People's Democratic Party under President Ziaur Rahman. During this time, Ahmad became the Minister of Education.
Joining the Jatiya Party
Kazi Zafar Ahmad was initially against the military rule of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad. However, politics in Bangladesh changed a lot after 1975, with leaders often moving between parties. Ahmad eventually dissolved his UPP and joined President Ershad's Jatiya Party.
On July 3, 1985, he became a Minister in President Ershad's government. On March 3, 1988, Ershad made Ahmad the Deputy Prime Minister, serving under Prime Minister Moudud Ahmed. Ahmad also defended Ershad's decision to make Islam the state religion of Bangladesh in 1988. He served as the Minister of Commerce from 1986 to 1989.
Becoming Prime Minister
In August 1989, Kazi Zafar Ahmad was appointed Prime Minister, taking over from Moudud Ahmed. He served as Prime Minister from August 1989 until December 6, 1990.
After Ershad resigned from power, Ahmad moved to India for a period. Later, he criticized Ershad for joining the Bangladesh Awami League government in 1997. Ahmad then formed his own party, called Jatiya Dal, which later joined the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Later Political Activities
In 2008, Kazi Zafar Ahmad ran in the Bangladesh General Election from the Comilla-11 area. As a senior member of the Jatiya Party, he disagreed with Ershad's decision to join the 2014 Bangladesh election, which was organized by the Bangladesh Awami League-led government.
In 2013, he was suspended from the Jatiya Party by Ershad. Just a few hours later, Ahmad tried to remove Ershad from the party and then formed his own group within the Jatiya Party. In January 2014, his group, known as Jatiya Party (Zafar), joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's 20-party alliance.
Family Life
Kazi Zafar Ahmad was married to Momtaz Begum. They had three daughters together: Kazi Joya Ahmed, Kazi Sonia Ahmed, and Kazi Rona Ahmed.
Death
Kazi Zafar Ahmad passed away on August 27, 2015, at United Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
