Syed Abul Mansur Habibullah

Syed Abul Mansur Habibullah was a communist peasant front leader, who had worked in West Bengal and East Pakistan.

Syed Abul Mansur Habibullah
Member of Legislative Assembly
ConstituencyManteswar, Nadanghat
Speaker, West Bengal
In office
1977–1982
Law Minister, West Bengal
In office
1982–1987
Personal details
Born(1917-11-17)17 November 1917
Bardhaman
Died14 September 1996(1996-09-14) (aged 78)
Kolkata
Spouse(s)Maksuda Khatun
OccupationPolitician

Formative years

Mansur Habibullah (as he was popularly known) was educated in Bardhaman Town School and the Scottish Church College in Kolkata.[1] He did his post graduation in history from the University of Calcutta and also graduated in law. He participated in movements organised by the then banned Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1935, when he was only 18 years of age.[2]

He was one of the founders of the Students Federation of India and the Bengal Provincial Krishak Sabha. He was a councilor of Bardhaman municipality and was editor of Janajuddha.[2] Mansur Habibullah was elected General Secretary of the Bengal Provincial Krishak Sabha in 1944.[3]

Short stay in East Pakistan

On the instructions of the party he went over to erstwhile East Pakistan, when Pakistan was formed in 1947, and started working for the Communist Party there.[2] He became a member of the provincial committee of the East Pakistan Communist Party. In 1949 he was arrested and sent to Rangpur jail. Subsequently, he was transferred to Rajshahi Jail where he was seriously injured in a police firing. In 1952, he was expelled from Pakistan and returned to India.[3]

Return to India

Back in West Bengal, Mansur Habibullah taught in Suri Vidyasagar College, which was then affiliated with the University of Calcutta. When he lost his job because of political reasons he started practicing law in 1961. He won from Manteswar (Vidhan Sabha constituency) as a CPI(M) candidate.[4] Subsequently, he won in the Nadanghat (Vidhan Sabha constituency) in 1969, 1971, 1977, 1982 and 1987.[4][5]

He was speaker of the West Bengal assembly from 1977 to 1982 and was the Minister-in- charge of Law Department, West Bengal from 1982 to 1987.[2]

He has written on the problems of peasants. Maksuda Khatun, a leader of Muslim women's activities, was his wife. Mamtaz Sanghamita is his daughter.

References
  1. Some Alumni of Scottish Church College in 175th Year Commemoration Volume. Scottish Church College, April 2008. page 593
  2. Bose, Anjali (editor), 1996/2004, Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Biographical dictionary) Vol II, (in Bengali), p49, ISBN 81-86806-99-7
  3. Imam, Syed Ali (2012). "Habibullah, Syed Abul Mansur". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. "Statistical Reports of Assembly Elections". General Election Results and Statistics. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 5 October 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  5. "277 – Nadanghat Assembly Constituency". Partywise Comparison Since 1977. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
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