Happy Birthday, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani

Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani (12 December 1880 – 17 November 1976), widely known as Maulana Bhasani, was a prominent grassroots political leader in 20th-century British India. He played a crucial role in the politics of both Pakistan, created in 1947, and Bangladesh, established in 1971.

Revered by the people of Bangladesh as the “Leader of the Oppressed,” he was among the key figures behind the formation of the United Front in the 1954 elections.

Throughout his political career, he was closely associated with leftist and communist movements, earning him the nickname “Red Maulana” among his followers.

As early as the 1950s, he recognized that East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) could not thrive under the Pakistani state structure. At the historic Kagmari Conference in 1957, he symbolically challenged the dominance of West Pakistan, signaling the aspirations of East Pakistan for autonomy.

In this month of victory, we pay humble tribute to this extraordinary leader.