Tajuddin Ahmad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bangataj
Tajuddin Ahmad
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তাজউদ্দীন আহমদ
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| 1st Prime Minister of Bangladesh | |
| In office 17 April 1971 – 12 January 1972 |
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| President |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman |
| Ministry of Finance and Planning | |
| In office 12 January 1972 – 26 October 1974 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Tajuddin Ahmad Khan
23 July 1925 Dardaria, Dhaka, Bengal Presidency, British India (now Kapasia, Gazipur, Bangladesh) |
| Died | 3 November 1975 (aged 50) Dacca, Bangladesh |
| Cause of death | Assassination |
| Citizenship |
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| Political party | Awami League (from 1949) |
| Other political affiliations |
All-India Muslim League (before 1949) |
| Spouse | Syeda Zohra Tajuddin |
| Children | 4, including Simeen Hussain Rimi and Sohel Taj |
| Relatives | Afsaruddin Ahmad (brother) |
| Alma mater |
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Tajuddin Ahmad (Bengali: তাজউদ্দীন আহমদ; 23 July 1925 – 3 November 1975) was a very important Bangladeshi politician. He was the first Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Many people see him as one of the most important people who helped create Bangladesh.
Tajuddin Ahmad started his political journey as a young worker for the All-India Muslim League in British India. He was part of a group in Dhaka that wanted democracy and a government that treated all religions equally. This group later left the Muslim League after India was divided and Pakistan was formed. He was also active in the Language Movement in 1952, which fought for Bengali to be a state language.
In 1953, he joined the Awami Muslim League, which later became simply the Awami League. The next year, he was elected to the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly. He became a close friend and helper to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, working to make the Awami League a strong political party in the 1960s.
As the General Secretary of the Awami League from 1966, Tajuddin helped lead the party through difficult times. He was put in prison several times. He also helped write the first version of the famous six-point demands, which were very important for Bangladesh becoming independent. He managed the Awami League's election campaign in 1970, where the party won a huge majority. He also organized the non-cooperation movement in March 1971 when the president delayed giving power to the elected leaders.
After the Pakistani army attacked the people of Bangladesh on 25 March 1971, Tajuddin escaped to India. Because Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested, Tajuddin set up the Provisional Government of Bangladesh in 1971. He led this government from India as its Prime Minister.
After Bangladesh became independent, Tajuddin served as the Minister of Finance and Planning from 1972 to 1974. He also helped write the Constitution of Bangladesh. He left the government in 1974. After Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed in a sudden change of government, Tajuddin was arrested. He was tragically killed on 3 November 1975, along with three other senior Awami League leaders, while in prison.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tajuddin Ahmad Khan was born on 23 July 1925, in a village called Dardaria. This village was in the Dhaka district of Bengal Presidency, which was part of British India. Today, this area is in the Gazipur District of Bangladesh. His parents were Maulavi Muhammad Yasin Khan and Meherunnesa Khanam. He was the oldest of nine children.
During his childhood, British rule in India was ending. Bengal faced many problems like famines and tensions between different groups. This made many people want to fight against British rule. Tajuddin started his political activities at a very young age, which sometimes made it hard for him to focus on his studies.
Tajuddin went to schools in Gazipur before moving to Dhaka for more studies. In Dhaka, he attended Saint Gregory's High School. He finished school in 1944 and did very well. After that, he paused his studies for three years because he was so involved in activism. Later, he went to Dhaka College and then earned a degree in Economics from the University of Dhaka. He also got a law degree from the University of Dhaka.
When he was 22, Tajuddin's father passed away. He then took on the responsibility of taking care of his family.
Getting Involved in Politics
Early Steps in British India
As British rule in India was ending, the All-India Muslim League started a movement in 1940. They wanted a separate country for Muslims in India, which became Pakistan. Tajuddin joined the Muslim League in 1943 while still a school student. He became part of a group of young, progressive members who wanted to change the party.
This group had an office in Dhaka at 150 Moghultuli Lane. Tajuddin was one of four full-time workers there. He helped publish the party newspaper. This group often disagreed with the older, more powerful leaders of the Muslim League in Dhaka. Tajuddin helped his group win an important election for the Dhaka district committee in 1944.
After World War II, tensions between Hindus and Muslims grew. In August 1947, India was divided, and Pakistan was created. Pakistan had two parts, East Bengal (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan, which were thousands of miles apart. Even though the Muslim League led the creation of Pakistan, some members felt the party was not ready to lead the new country.
Tajuddin and other young leaders formed a group called the Gano Azadi League in July 1947. This group had modern ideas about the economy, culture, and education, unlike the main Muslim League.
Activism in East Pakistan
Fighting for Language Rights
After Pakistan became independent, Tajuddin was a student at Dhaka University. Soon, problems started between East and West Pakistan, especially about language. Leaders in West Pakistan wanted Urdu to be the only state language for all of Pakistan. But the people of East Bengal spoke Bengali and wanted their language to be recognized.
Tajuddin became very active in this movement. He joined the East Pakistan Muslim Students' League in 1948. In 1949, his group left the Muslim League and formed the Awami Muslim League.
In 1951, Tajuddin was elected to a committee that worked to make Bengali a state language. The movement became very strong on 27 January 1952, when the Prime Minister of Pakistan said that Urdu would be the only state language. On 21 February 1952, police shot at protesters, killing several people. Tajuddin narrowly avoided arrest. Because of this strong movement, the government finally agreed to make Bengali a state language.
Joining the Awami League
In 1953, Tajuddin joined the Awami Muslim League. He quickly became the general secretary of the party's Dhaka District branch. The Awami Muslim League joined with other parties to form the Jukta Front for the Provincial Assembly elections. They had a 21-point plan that included many popular demands.
Tajuddin won his election by a large number of votes. At 29, he was one of the youngest elected lawmakers. The Jukta Front won the election, ending the Muslim League's power in East Pakistan. However, the central government soon removed the Jukta Front government. Tajuddin was arrested after this. He even took his law exam from prison and earned a law degree.
In 1958, the military, led by General Ayub Khan, took over the government. Ayub Khan became president and stopped democratic activities. Tajuddin was arrested again and imprisoned for a year. Under Ayub's rule, East Pakistan faced more difficulties. West Pakistan controlled most of the country's politics, business, and education.
In the mid-1950s, the Awami Muslim League became more focused on treating all religions equally and dropped "Muslim" from its name. It became known as the Awami League. The party spoke out about the unfair economic differences between East and West Pakistan and became very popular. Tajuddin became very close to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, one of the party's founders. Tajuddin became Mujib's "right-hand man."
Leading the Fight for Bangladesh
The Six-Point Demands
After the 1965 war between India and Pakistan, Ayub Khan's government lost some respect. Opposition parties wanted more democracy. In 1966, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was invited to a conference. Before this, Tajuddin helped Mujib write down some demands for East Pakistan. These demands later became the famous six-point demands.
The six-point demands asked for a new constitution that would give more power to the provinces, especially on important matters like money and defense. West Pakistani leaders did not like these demands, seeing them as a threat to Pakistan's unity.
In March 1966, Sheikh Mujib became president of the Awami League, and Tajuddin became its general secretary. The six points became very popular in East Pakistan. However, the government tried to stop the movement. Tajuddin and many other Awami League leaders were arrested in 1966. In 1968, Sheikh Mujib was arrested on serious charges in the Agartala Conspiracy Case.
In 1969, a huge uprising happened in East Pakistan. This forced Ayub Khan's government to compromise. Tajuddin, who had just been released from prison, helped negotiate Mujib's release. Sheikh Mujib was finally released on 23 February 1969.
Tajuddin attended a conference with Mujib. At this meeting, West Pakistani politicians again strongly opposed the Awami League's six points. Ayub Khan resigned soon after, and General Yahya Khan became president. Yahya Khan promised a general election.
The 1970 Election and Its Aftermath
The 1970 Pakistani general election was held on 7 December 1970. It was the first election of its kind after years of military rule. The Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won 160 out of 162 seats in East Pakistan. This made them the majority party in the entire country. Tajuddin also won his election.
With the Awami League winning, they were ready to write a new constitution based on the six-point demands. Sheikh Mujib and other Awami League leaders, including Tajuddin, worked hard to draft a constitution proposal.
However, the victory of the Awami League worried West Pakistani parties and the military. On 1 March, Yahya Khan suddenly postponed the meeting of the National Assembly. Sheikh Mujib immediately called for a non-cooperation movement in East Pakistan. This meant people stopped working with the government. Tajuddin, Kamal Hossain, and Amir-ul Islam were in charge of writing the instructions for this movement.
On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujib gave a historic speech. He called for a general strike and told his people to be ready for anything. On 15 March, Tajuddin issued 35 instructions to the people. Yahya Khan came to Dhaka for talks, but no agreement was reached. On 25 March, Yahya's group secretly left Dhaka. That night, the Pakistan Army launched a brutal attack on the people of Bangladesh.
Forming the First Government
When the Pakistani army attacked on 25 March 1971, Tajuddin and his friend Amir-ul Islam went into hiding. They secretly left Dhaka on 27 March and traveled to neighboring India. Tajuddin later learned that Sheikh Mujib had been arrested on the night of 25 March. Before his arrest, Mujib had declared Bangladesh's independence in a radio message.
After a difficult journey, Tajuddin and Amir-ul Islam crossed into India on 30 March. They were taken to Kolkata and then to Delhi. In Delhi, Tajuddin met with India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 4 April. She told him that Sheikh Mujib had been arrested and taken to Pakistan.
Tajuddin told Gandhi that a provisional government for Bangladesh had been formed with Sheikh Mujib as president and himself as prime minister. Two very important things were decided in that meeting: India would open its borders to Bangladeshi refugees, and India would allow the Bangladesh government to operate from Indian territory. India also promised to help Bangladesh in its fight for freedom.
When Tajuddin returned to Kolkata, some Awami League leaders, especially the youth, were upset because he had met the Indian prime minister without them. However, after discussions, most leaders accepted Tajuddin's plan for a provisional government.
On 10 April, Tajuddin and other leaders traveled to Agartala, India, where many Awami League leaders had taken refuge. Before reaching Agartala, Tajuddin's first radio speech as Prime Minister of Bangladesh was broadcast. In his speech, he told the people about the new government and the war's progress. He praised the people fighting for freedom and asked the international community to support Bangladesh.
The Awami League leaders met in Agartala to decide on government roles. Since Sheikh Mujib was not there, Syed Nazrul Islam became acting president. Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad became Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Muhammad Mansur Ali became Finance Minister. Colonel M A G Osmani was appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
The oath-taking ceremony for the new government took place on 17 April 1971, in a village called Baidyanathtala, on Bangladeshi soil. Tajuddin named the place Mujibnagar, after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This government-in-exile became known as the Mujibnagar Government. It later moved to Kolkata, India, for the rest of the war.
Organizing the War for Freedom
By late April, Pakistani forces had taken control of most of Bangladesh. This caused millions of people to flee to India as refugees. Bengali soldiers who were serving in the Pakistani army revolted and fought against the Pakistani forces. These rebel commanders formed the Bangladesh Forces (BDF), also known as Mukti Bahini, with Osmani as their commander-in-chief.
Thousands of young people from Bangladesh crossed into India, seeking weapons and training to join the fight. One of the Tajuddin Government's main goals was to organize these war efforts. In July, the commanders of the BDF met and planned how to fight the war. They named the irregular guerrilla fighters Gono Bahini (Freedom Fighters) and the regular army "Regular Force."
Under Tajuddin's leadership, many Bengali government workers, diplomats, and military officers left Pakistan's service and joined the new Bangladesh government. The government quickly set up a good civil administration. Tajuddin divided occupied Bangladesh into nine administrative zones to make it easier to manage. He also worked to keep the administration fair and not too political.
Tajuddin also used skilled diplomats. For example, he asked economist Rehman Sobhan to stop Pakistan from getting new foreign aid and to convince Bangladeshi officials in other countries to support Bangladesh.
During the nine months of the war, Tajuddin also had to deal with problems within his own party. Some leaders questioned his role as prime minister because Sheikh Mujib had not clearly named him as his successor. There were also issues with different government groups not working together well.
The student wing of the Awami League formed a separate armed group called the Mujib Bahini. This group sometimes clashed with the regular forces. Tajuddin expressed his concerns about this to Indian officials and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
In August, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, secretly tried to make a deal with the United States, which was an ally of Pakistan. Tajuddin found out about this and removed Mostaq from a delegation going to the United Nations. He later removed him from the government after the war.
After Independence
Serving as Finance Minister
After nine months of war, the Pakistani forces in Bangladesh surrendered on 16 December 1971. Tajuddin and his government returned to Dhaka, the new capital of independent Bangladesh, on 22 December 1971. Tajuddin announced that Bangladesh would be built on the ideas of socialism, democracy, and treating all religions equally. His government immediately started working to bring back law and order.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returned to Dhaka on 10 January 1972 after being released from prison in Pakistan. Tajuddin and Mujib met to decide the future leadership. Tajuddin happily agreed to let Mujib become the Prime Minister. Tajuddin was then put in charge of the Ministry of Finance and Planning. He also helped write the Constitution of Bangladesh.
As finance minister, Tajuddin was careful about foreign aid, especially from the United States. He believed that industries should be owned by the government, not private companies. This idea was part of the Awami League's election promises.
His Final Years
The new government faced many challenges. A group of students from the Awami League's student wing formed a new political party in late 1972. There was also a serious famine in 1974. People started to feel unhappy with the Awami League.
Tajuddin felt increasingly isolated within the government and his party. He and Mujib started to disagree on several issues. For example, Tajuddin's idea for a national militia of freedom fighters was dropped. Instead, a different armed force was created, which was mainly made up of members of the Mujib Bahini.
Tajuddin became very frustrated with the government. In October 1974, he resigned from the cabinet. After his resignation, he mostly stayed out of politics.
In early 1975, Sheikh Mujib made big changes to the government. He became president and banned all political parties except one, called BAKSAL. Tajuddin refused to join this new party and grew apart from Mujib. Despite their political differences, Tajuddin remained loyal to Mujib. In July 1975, he heard rumors of plots against Mujib and rushed to warn him, but Mujib did not take the threat seriously.
Tragic Death
On 15 August 1975, a group from the army overthrew the government and killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and many members of his family. Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, who was involved in the plot, became president and declared martial law.
After these killings, Tajuddin was immediately put under house arrest. On 22 August, he was arrested along with other Awami League leaders, Syed Nazrul Islam, A H M Qamaruzzaman, and Muhammad Mansur Ali. They were all imprisoned at the Dhaka Central Jail.
On 3 November 1975, during another attempt to overthrow the government, Tajuddin and the three other imprisoned Awami League leaders were tragically killed inside the jail. This event is sadly known as the "Jail Killing Day."
His Family
On 26 April 1959, Tajuddin married Syeda Zohra Khatun. They had four children: three daughters named Sharmin Ahmad (Reepi), Simeen Hussain Rimi, and Mahjabin Ahmad (Mimi), and one son named Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj.
His wife, Zohra, strongly supported his political work but was not involved in politics herself during his lifetime. After the tragic deaths of Sheikh Mujib and Tajuddin, she took on a leadership role and helped reorganize the Awami League from 1975 to 1981.
Tajuddin's daughter Sharmin Ahmad is an author and activist. His son Sohel Taj is a health and fitness activist and was a minister in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government in 2009. His second daughter Simeen Hussain was elected as a member of parliament for the Awami League in 2012.
Why He Is Remembered
Tajuddin Ahmad and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were very different people, but they worked together very well. This partnership was key to the birth of Bangladesh. Mujib was a great speaker who could connect with people, while Tajuddin was a thoughtful and organized person. He was very dedicated and worked extremely hard.
Mujib often trusted Tajuddin with important decisions. For example, when there was a debate about the six points, Mujib chose Tajuddin to explain and defend them.
When Sheikh Mujib was arrested at the start of the liberation war, Tajuddin stepped up to lead. He quickly earned the trust of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her officials. Indian leaders believed Tajuddin was the best person to lead the war effort. They felt he had the right political ideas and was irreplaceable.
Tajuddin's efforts to unite different political groups, train young people as fighters, and keep the government fair sometimes made him unpopular within his own party. His strong stance against the Mujib Bahini also made some young people dislike him.
After Bangladesh became independent, the relationship between Mujib and Tajuddin became difficult. Many believe that the challenges Tajuddin faced during the war led to his later difficulties. The economist Nurul Islam, who worked closely with Tajuddin, called their growing distance "a great tragedy."
Tajuddin was known for being very organized and keeping detailed diaries. His diaries from the late 1940s and early 1950s, when he was active in the Bengali language movement, provide important information for historians.
A documentary film called Tajuddin Ahmad: An Unsung Hero, released in 2007, tells the story of his life and work. The Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College in Gazipur is named after him.
See also
