Kazi Zafar Ahmed

2021-06-26T13:14:50Z

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{{short description|Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Kazi Zafar Ahmad
| image = Kazi Zafar Ahmed.jpg
| office = 9th [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]]
| president = [[Hossain Mohammad Ershad]]
| term_start = 12 August 1989
| term_end = 6 December 1990
| predecessor = [[Moudud Ahmed]]
| successor = [[Khaleda Zia]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1939|7|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Chauddagram Upazila|Chauddagram]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|8|27|1939|7|1|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]]
| party = [[Jatiya Party (Ershad)|Jatiya Party]] (1984–2015)
| otherparty = National Awami Party (NAP), United Peoples Party-UPP (before 1984)
| alma_mater = [[University of Dhaka]]
}}
'''Kazi Zafar Ahmad''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Kazi Zafar Ahmed from Bangladesh pronunciation (Voice of America).ogg|ˈ|k|ɑː|z|i|_|ˈ|z|ɑː|f|ɑːr|_|ˈ|ɑː|x|m|ɛ|d}}; 1 July 1939<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.jugantor.com/old/current-news/2015/08/27/314574|script-title=bn:সর্বশেষ খবর |work=Jugantor |language=bn}}</ref>{{snd}}27 August 2015)<ref name=death>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/kazi-zafar-no-more-133837|title=Jatiya Party leader Kazi Zafar passes away|date=27 August 2015|access-date=27 August 2015|work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]]}}</ref> was a Bangladeshi politician of the Jatiya Party,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.banglanews24.com/politics/article/44267/Kazi-Zafar-Ahmed-passes-away|title=Kazi Zafar Ahmed passes away|work=Banglanews24.com|date=26 August 2015|language=en|access-date=2018-02-16}}</ref> who was the 9th [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]] from 1989 to 1990.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=515101&date=2015-08-27|title=Kazi Zafar Ahmed passes away |work=Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha |language=en|access-date=2018-02-16}}</ref>

==Early life==
Ahmed was born in 1939,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |url=https://bdnews24.com/politics/2015/08/27/jatiya-party-faction-leader-kazi-zafar-ahmed-dies-at-the-age-of-76|title=Jatiya Party faction leader Kazi Zafar Ahmed dies at the age of 76 |work=bdnews24.com|access-date=2018-02-15}}</ref> in [[Cheora Union|Cheora]] [[Chauddagram Upazila]], [[Comilla District|Comilla]], British India (now [[Bangladesh]]), the son of Cheora Kazi Bari.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kazi Zafar's birthday today |work=The New Nation |date=1 July 2008}}</ref> He was a student leader at the [[University of Dhaka]],<ref name=":1" /> where he obtained a M.A. degree in history.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.daily-sun.com/arcprint/details/166437/Remembering-Kazi-Zafar-Ahmed/2016-09-11|title=Remembering Kazi Zafar Ahmed |work=Daily Sun|access-date=2018-02-16|language=en}}</ref>

==Political career==
Ahmed was a Maoist. From 1962 to 1963 he served as the General Secretary of the East Pakistan Chattra Union. In 1966 he joined the Maoist Communist Party and became a labour leader, mainly concentrating in organising the workers in the [[Tongi]] industrial area.<ref name=":1" /> During the Bangladesh Liberation war he worked for Mujibnagar government.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lentz |first=Harris M. |year=2014 |title=Heads of States and Governments Since 1945|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RwfKAgAAQBAJ&q=Kazi+Zafar+Ahmed&pg=PA1974 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781134264971|language=en}}</ref>

After independence, he joined the [[National Awami Party]] of [[Maulana Bhashani]] and became its Secretary General. He supported the ideology of Islamic socialism by Maulana Bhashani.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/op-ed/politics/the-declining-left-bangladesh-expects-more-1356385|title=The declining left - Bangladesh expects more|date=6 February 2017|work=The Daily Star|access-date=15 February 2018|language=en}}</ref> He declared that he would form a responsible opposition party. Later he formed the [[United Peoples' Party]] (UPP) in 1974 with Captain [[Abdul Halim Chowdhury]].<ref name=":1" /> He worked with the People's Democratic Party under [[President of Bangladesh|President]] [[Ziaur Rahman]] after he assumed the presidency through a referendum.<ref name=":1" /> Ahmed became Minister of Education.<ref name=":1" />

Ahmed also played a leading role in the anti military role of President [[Hussain Muhammad Ershad]]. But the period since 1975 in Bangladesh witnessed realignment of politics and leaders leaving their old parties and joining new ones. Ahmed dissolved his UPP and joined President Ershad's [[Jatiya Party (Ershad)|Jatiya Party]].<ref name=":4" /> On 3 July 1985 he was made a Minister in the cabinet of President Ershad.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/04/world/around-the-world-bangladesh-appoints-7-ministers-to-cabinet.html|title=Around the World; Bangladesh Appoints 7 Ministers to Cabinet |agency=AP |date=4 July 1985 |work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-02-17|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Ershad on the 3 March 1988 made Ahmed the deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister [[Moudud Ahmed]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Rahman |first=Syedur |year=2010 |title=Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bJfcCPUr0OoC&q=Kazi+Zafar+Ahmed&pg=PR60 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810874534 |language=en}}</ref> He defended the decision of Ershad to make Islam the state religion of Bangladesh as move against fundamentalism on 6 June 1988.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mutalib|first1=Hussin|last2=Hashmi|first2=Taj ul-Islam|year=2016 |title=Islam, Muslims and the Modern State: Case-Studies of Muslims in Thirteen Countries |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o9y-DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA116 |publisher=Springer |pages=116 |isbn=9781349142088 |language=en}}</ref> He served in the Ershad Government as Minister of Commerce from 1986-1989.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/12/1055220711409.html|title=Safe haven here for corrupt ex-Bangladeshi PM|date=13 June 2003|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=20 April 2010}}</ref> In August 1989 he was appointed Prime Minister replacing Moudud Ahmed who was made Vice-President.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Preston |first=Ian |year=2001 |title=A Political Chronology of Central, South and East Asia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TtwTXyM65J4C&pg=PA22 |publisher=Psychology Press |pages=22 |isbn=9781857431148 |language=en}}</ref> He served as the Prime Minister from August 1989 to 6 December 1990.<ref name=":2" /> He fled to India after Ershad resigned from power.<ref name=":2" /> He became known as Sugar Zafar for his role in the theft of a sugar shipment.<ref name=":0" /> Ahmed criticised Ershad for joining the Bangladesh Awami League government in 1997 and created his own party called Jatiya Dal,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Banks |first1=Arthur S. |last2=Day |first2=Alan J. |last3=Muller |first3=Thomas C. |year=2016 |title=Political Handbook of the World 1998 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D6mFCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA75 |publisher=Springer |pages=75 |isbn=9781349149513 |language=en}}</ref> which joined the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Ershad was imprisoned since he lost power and was freed in 1996 after Bangladesh Awami League came to power.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ni1KDwAAQBAJ&q=Kazi+Zafar+Ahmed&pg=PT206|title=Bangladesh: A Political History since Independence|last=Riaz|first=Ali|year=2016|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=9781786720757|language=en}}</ref>

Ahmed was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by a Dhaka court in November 1999 on corruption charges related to the misappropriation of funds meant for an orphanage.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> He moved to Australia and successfully applied for asylum.<ref name=":2" /> In Australia he was able to access government disability pension for the treatment of his kidney.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2987294.stm|title=Bangladesh ex-PM in refugee row |work=BBC News |date=13 June 2003|access-date=20 April 2010}}</ref> [[John Howard]], Prime Minister of Australia, called an inquiry into how Ahmed was able to secure asylum.<ref name=":0" />

Ahmed competed in the 2008 Bangladesh General Election from the [[Comilla-11]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-67770|title=EC in deep soup as court clears more JS polls candidates|date=2008-12-19|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-02-16|language=en}}</ref> Ahmed, the presidium member of Jatiya Party, criticised Ershad for agreeing to join the 2014 Bangladesh election organised by Bangladesh Awami League led coalition government.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news/ershad-back-flips|title=Ershad back-flips |date=12 April 2013 |work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-02-16|language=en}}</ref> On 5 May 2013 he went on the stage at a [[Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh|Hefajat-e Islam]] rally in Motijheel.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news/aim-was-to-oust-govt|title=Aim was to oust govt |date=22 May 2013 |work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-02-16|language=en}}</ref> In 2013 he was suspended from [[Jatiya Party (Ershad)|Jatiya Party]] by Ershad and a few hours later Ahmed tried to expel Ershad from the Jatiya Party,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rahman |first=Syedur |year=2010 |title=Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bJfcCPUr0OoC&q=Kazi+Zafar+Ahmed&pg=PR60 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |pages=ix |isbn=9780810874534 |language=en}}</ref> after which he formed his own faction of Jatiya Party.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=http://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/news/76995/Kazi-Zafar-Ahmed-passes-away|title=Kazi Zafar passes away|work=Prothom Alo|access-date=2018-02-16|language=en}}</ref> Golam Moshi joined the Ahmed faction of Jatiya Party.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2015/01/02/govt-names-raushons-political-secretary-golam-moshi-ambassador-to-saudi-arabia|title=Govt names Raushon's political secretary Golam Moshi Ambassador to Saudi Arabia|work=bdnews24.com |access-date=2018-02-16}}</ref> In January 2014 he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party led 20-party alliance with his faction of Jatiya Party.<ref name="death" /><ref name=":3" />

== Personal life ==
Ahmed was married to Momtaz Begum. They had three daughters, Kazi Joya Ahmed, Kazi Sonia Ahmed, and Kazi Rona Ahmed.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://bdnews24.com/politics/2015/08/30/former-prime-minister-kazi-zafar-ahmed-laid-to-rest|title=Former prime minister Kazi Zafar Ahmed laid to rest|work=bdnews24.com |access-date=2018-02-15}}</ref>

== Death ==
Ahmed died on 27 August 2015 in United Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh.<ref name=":1" />

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Moudud Ahmed]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]]|years=1989–1990}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Khaleda Zia]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{BangladeshPrimeMinisters}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Kazi Zafar}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi Muslims]]
[[Category:Jatiya Party politicians]]
[[Category:People from Comilla District]]
[[Category:University of Dhaka alumni]]
[[Category:Prime Ministers of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:People from Comilla]]
[[Category:Deputy Prime Ministers of Bangladesh]]

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Kazi Zafar Ahmed