Mohammad Ali Bogra was a statesman. He was a Pakistani Bengali politician who served as Pakistan’s third prime minister.
Biography
Mohammad Ali Bogra was born on October 19, 1909. He was born into an elite, well-off family in Barisal, East Bengal, India. His family was famous with the title “Nawabs of Dhanbari”. His family was very close to the British Government.
Ali was the son of politician Nawabzad Altaf Ali Chowdhury. Altaf was an esteemed figure in Dacca. He was Vice President of the Muslim League’s East Bengal Wing. The grandfather of Ali “Nawab Ali Chowdhury” was also a politician. Nawab, selected as minister, was the first Bengali Muslim in this post.
Protest on Marriage
Bogra had his first marriage with Begum Hamida Mohammad Ali. He has two sons from his first wife. In 1955, Bogra had a second marriage with Aliya Saddy. His second marriage became a public issue. There has been an intense reaction from women’s organizations. The organizations started nationwide protests against polygamy.
Education
Mohammad Ali spent his childhood in Bogra. He started his education at the Hastings House in his native town. Later, he moved to Calcutta, where he joined a local madrasa. Ali joined the Presidency College of Calcutta University to extend his education after matriculation. In 1930, he graduated with a degree in political science.
Political Career
Mohammad Ali’s family was active in Bengali politics, being a party worker in the Muslim League in 19390. Ali completed his education at the University of Calcutta and selected the Muslim League to pursue his political career. 1937, Bogra contested in the general elections from the Muslim League’s platform.
Bogra won the election and was elected Opposition in the Bengali Legislative Assembly. Bogra’s uncle also won the election from the opposition’s side. In 1940, Bogra became part of the provincial cabinet of H. S. Suharwardy, who was Prime Minister then. Husayn Suhrawardy asked Bogra to become part of his cabinet in 1946. Later, Bogra became minister of health, finance and local government. He founded the Dhaka Medical College as health minister. Calcutta Lake Medical College was established during his ministry.
In 1945, the Muslim League gave the call for the creation of Pakistan by demanding the partition of British India. Bogra supported the movement and successfully defended his seat in the general elections. He became a member of the first Constituent Assembly in 1947.
In 1948, he met Governor General Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Dhaka. Bogra continuously discussed the language movement with Jinnah. The language movement was viral at that time. He addressed the issue with the Chief Minister Sir Khawja Nazimuddin. He requested a lot from Nazimuddin to stop Jinnah from taking open measures against the movement. Nazimuddin strongly discouraged Bogra on this issue.
In 1947, Pakistan gained independence. After independence, the government sent him as Ambassador to Burma. From 1949 to 1952, he remained on a high Commission in Canada. Further, he remained Ambassador to the United States twice from 1959 to 1962. He also remained Ambassador to Japan.
Prime Minister
Sir Khwaja Nazimuddin was Prime Minister in 1953, when Nazimuddin’s government was declined and Governor General Malik Ghulam, using his special powers, dismissed Nazimuddin. Malik Ghulam also ordered the termination order of Bogra from the United States and made him Prime Minister.
Through his foreign policies, Mohammad Ali strengthened the bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States, whereas Bogra weakened the ties with the Soviet Union. He had played a significant role in improving relations with China. Bogra supported a more robust military to control India and maintain peace between the two countries.
Bogra made efforts to make Pakistan a federal parliamentary republic. He established the foundation of the constitution in 1956 by proposing the famous political formula.
Though his initiatives were viral, his relations with Iskander Mirza, who was acting Governor-General then, became weaker. In 1959, Iskander made Bogra the Ambassador to the United States for the second time.
Mohammad Ali remained active through his policies and established relations with Ayub Khan. He became part of the administration of Ayub Khan in 1962 as Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Bogra remained Foreign Minister until Bogra died in 1963.
Death
Mohammad Ali Bogra’s lively life ended in a sudden death on January 23, 1963. He was in Dacca at the time of his death. The Politician Ajmal Ali Choudhury felt very sad about the sudden death of Bogra. Ajmal offered condolences on Bogra’s death.
Conclusion
Mohammad Ali Bogra was a steady statesman. He served in many critical posts for Pakistan. He performed well with his wise policies. He also served as Prime Minister.