Syed Badrudduja: The Life and Principles of an Indian Political Leader

Syeda Zakia Ahsan, 20 November 2024 14.00 GMT Online

Syed Badrudduja was among the few Muslim political figures in India who declined to move to Pakistan in the aftermath of the partition of the country in August 1947. His politics, liberal as it was secular, was oriented toward ensuring an active role for Muslims in India.

As mayor of Calcutta at the time of the Bengal famine in 1943, Badrudduja played a pivotal role in supervising relief operations in the city. He subsequently served as a member of the Bengal legislative assembly for a good number of years before being elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s parliament. His interactions with Nehru, Azad, Vajpayee and other prominent politicians of the era are part of history.

A half century after his passing, Syed Badrudduja’s life and politics call for a re-evaluation.

Syeda Zakia Ahsan, the youngest daughter of Syed Badrudduja, was educated at Loreto School and College, an Irish missionary institution, in Calcutta. She has degrees in education and English and has taught in schools in India, Bangladesh and the United Kingdom.

Her career has spanned the International Labour Organisation (ILO), where she was involved in a project related to women’s empowerment in Bangladesh. In London, Zakia has worked with immigrant women, advising them on career prospects and opportunities. She has taught English language and literature in secondary schools and a sixth form college in London.

Zakia is a trustee of the Commonwealth Countries League. She writes poetry and has contributed articles on diverse subjects to newspapers in Bangladesh.