Mohammad Ali Bogra

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(Redirected from
Mohammad Ali of Bogra
)
This article is about the third prime minister of Pakistan. For his successor prime minister, see Chaudhry Muhammad Ali.
For other people named Mohammad Ali, see Mohammad Ali (disambiguation).

Muhammad Ali
Personal details
Born
Syed Mohammad Ali Chowdhury

(1909-10-19)19 October 1909
Ayub administration

Syed Mohammad Ali Chowdhury Bogra

prime minister of Pakistan from 1953 to 1955. He was appointed in this capacity in 1953 until he stepped down in 1955 in favour of Finance Minister Muhammad Ali.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

After his education at the

United States, and as ambassador to Japan (1959–1962).[10]

After he was recalled in 1953 from his services to

political formula that laid the foundation of the constitution in 1956 which made Pakistan a federal parliamentary republic. Despite his popular initiatives, he lost his support to then-acting governor-general Iskandar Ali Mirza
who re-appointed him as Pakistani Ambassador to the United States which he served until 1959.

In 1962, he joined President

Foreign Minister of Pakistan
until his death in 1963.

Biography

Family background and education

Mohammad Ali was born in

Sahibzada (lit. Prince) is added before his name to represent the Bengali royalty which is customary to give to individuals in India.[11]
: 159 

His father,

Dhaka University along with Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur of Dhaka.[14]

Mohammad Ali Bogra grew up in

Calcutta University where he secured his graduation with a BA degree in political science in 1930.[15][9]

He was married twice: his first wife was Begum Hamida Mohammad Ali, with whom he had two sons.[16] He later married Aliya Saddy in 1955.[16] His second marriage led to widespread protests against polygamy by women organizations in the country.[17]

Politics (1930–1947)

Before his entrance in the politics, the Bogra family were influential

Krishak Praja Party.[11]
: 10 

In 1938, he was elected as chairman of Bogra District which he served until 1942.

Dhaka Medical College and the Calcutta Lake Medical College.[9]

Bogra supported the Muslim League's call for

British India and successfully defended his constituency in the general elections held in 1945.[9] In 1947, he joined the first Constituent Assembly.[19] While in Dacca in 1948, he received Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah and reportedly dissented on the issue of populist language movement being excluded as an official state language of Pakistan.[9] He strongly advised Chief Minister Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin to restrain Jinnah from announcing the measure, but was rebuked.[9]

Diplomatic Career (1947–1952)

Ambassadorship to Burma, High Commissionership to Canada, and Ambassadorship to the United States

Main article: Anti-Sovietism

In 1948, Bogra was asked by Prime Minister

operations against the communists.[21] In 1948, he showed concerns of communist expansion in Pakistan when he reportedly told Pakistani journalists that: "even [sic] if the Burmese Government succeed in suppressing the communists, it is possible they may shift the centre of communist efforts to Pakistan."[21]

In 1949, he left Burma when he was appointed as

High Commissioner of Pakistan to Canada which he headed the diplomatic mission until 1952.[11][20]: 11  In 1952, he was made Ambassador to the United States.[22]

Watching the

United States government in 1952.[25]
: 36 

In the Foreign Service society of Pakistan, Bogra gained a reputation of "a man who was known for his excessive praise of everything American."[26] He served as Pakistan's ambassador until 1953 but he had become disconcern of the real situation in Pakistan when the leftwing influence began to grow and the public support for the Soviet Union was visible.[27] Pakistani historians held him widely responsibly as one of the principle personalities putting Pakistan in the alliance of the United States against the Soviet Union.[25]: 41–59 

Prime Minister of Pakistan (1953–1955)

Talent ministry and foreign policy

The issue of

Ahmadiyya in 1953 were the defining factors that led to the dismissal of Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin by then-Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad on 17 April 1953.[28]

Bogra was recalled to

governor, but this appointment only lasted a couple of months.[32]

Prime Minister Bogra appointed a new cabinet which was known as "Ministry of Talents"

Interior Minister.[34]

Days later, U.S. President

damage their strong relations with India.[37] His tenure saw him signing multiple treaties with the United States and brought the two countries closer.[30]
: 226 

His foreign policy was noted for strong "anti-Soviet agitation" which he viewed the Russians as "imperialist" but did not label the same for China despite both being ideologically closed.[38]: 71  In 1955, Prime Minister Bogra led Pakistan to attend the Bandung Conference in Indonesia in 1955, which saw the first high-level contact between China and Pakistan.[39]

Bogra addressed the

Indian held Kashmir (IoK), but this was not achieved due to Prime Minister Bogra losing support from the leftwing sphere of the country.[40]

In his approach towards India, Prime Minister Bogra pushed for a stronger military to achieve peace in the subcontinent, and argued: "[w]hen there is more equality of military strength, then I am sure that there will be a greater chance of settlement".[41]

Bogra Formula

The Bogra Formula was a political compromise presented and proposed by Prime Minister Bogra on 7 October 1953 before the

Prime Minister's Secretariat, Bogra announced that drafting of the codified Constitution was his primary target, and within six months, he announced a proposal that leads to the drafting of the constitution writ.[42]

The framework proposed the establishment of more effective

five provinces: Punjab, Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, and Bengal.[42] A total of 300 seats were to be reserved for the National Assembly on the basis of proportionate representation and 50 for the Senate that would be equal representation for all the five provinces of the country.[42]

Under this framework, the larger number of

Karachi metropolitan area, Bahawalpur, Khairpur, Baluchistan States Union, were combined as 24 reserved seats.[42]

In this framework, Bengal had given more seats due to its

four provinces and the federal capital which, all were socially heterogeneous and ethically diverse.[42] But combined the reserved seats in the four provinces were in balance with Bengal in the bicameral parliament.[42] Both the houses were given equal power, and in case of a conflict between the two houses, the issue was to be presented before a joint session.[42]

The Bogra framework also addresses the

vice versa.[42] The President was to be elected for a term of 5 years from the indirect elections by the Electoral College formed by both houses: National Assembly and the Senate.[42]

The

Koran or not.[42]

The Bogra formulae was highly popular and widely welcomed by the people as opposed to the Basic Principles Committee led by Prime Minister Nazimuddin as it was seen as great enthusiasm amongst the masses as they considered it as a plan that could bridge the gulf between the two wings of Pakistan and would act as a source of unity for the country.[42]

One Unit Scheme integrated the four provinces of the western wing of Pakistan into a single province, West Pakistan.[42][43][44]

The compromise did not settled to its ground when Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad, threatened by curbing of his powers, dissolved the Constituent Assembly in 1954 with the support of Pakistan military and civil bureaucracy.[45][46]

One Unit

Main article:
One Unit

Following the failure of reaching concession on Bogra Formula, he began working towards the controversial One Unit program that integrated the Four Provinces into a single

nation-state
and began advocating for such idea when he quoted:

There will be no Bengalis, no Punjabis, no Sindhis, no Pathans, no Balochis, no Bahawalpuris, no Khairpuris. The disappearance of these groups will strengthen the integrity of Pakistan...

— Prime Minister M. A. Bogra, presenting the One Unit on 22 November 1954[47]

Dismissal and ambassadorship to the United States (1955–1959)

On 4 August 1955, the Cabinet accepted Governor-General Sir Malik Ghulam Muhammad's request for a leave of absence due to ill health. They chose Interior Minister Iskander Mirza to replace him, and he was sworn in as Acting Governor-General on 7 August.[48][49][50]

Soon after the appointment, Acting Governor-General Mirza began having confrontation with Prime Minister Bogra on regional disparity though both were Bengali and were from Bengal, and forced the Prime Minister Bogra to resign that ended Bogra's administration.[22][51] Acting Governor-General Mirza also dismissed Malik Ghulam Muhammad and sent a letter of notification in the United Kingdom to remind him of the political developments.[52]

Governor-General Mirza, instead appointment Bogra as Pakistani Ambassador to the United States when he recalled

Finance Minister.[50]

Ayub administration

Foreign Minister (1962–63)

Mohammad Ali Bogra (centre) with John F. Kennedy (right) at the Oval Office in 1962

In 1959, he left the ambassadorial assignment after the then-Chief Martial Law Administrator

foreign minister.[citation needed
]

Soon after his appointment, he visited China where he continued talks with the Chinese leadership that eventually led to a settlement with China regarding the China–Pakistan border.[53] As foreign minister, he guided a pro-Western policy but made efforts to improve relations with the Soviet Union after witnessing the Western and American support India during the Chinese-Indian War in 1962.[54] After visiting Soviet Union with President Ayub, Bogra quoted: There was no such thing as friends forever or enemies forever– only national interests count.[54]

During this time, his health became a serious issue and illness caused him to miss out the meeting over Kashmir but his deputy

Dacca and was buried in Bogra Nawab Palace in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.[51][3]

Personal life

Ali was married twice; his first wife was Begum

Hamida Mohammed Ali,[9] and his second wife was a Lebanese lady, Aliya Begum.[1] This marriage was controversial because it constituted polygamy, which was uncommon among the elites of Pakistan.[31][55]

Death

Bogra died on 23 January 1963 in Dacca. Politician

Ajmal Ali Choudhury offered condolences and felt "deep sorrow" for the sudden death.[56]

Notes

  1. Urdu
    : سید محمد علی چوہدری بوگڑا

References

  1. ^ a b c Balouch, Akhtar (8 September 2015). "The Pakistani Prime Minister who drove a locomotive". Dawn.
  2. ^ "Former Prime Ministers". Prime Minister's Office Islamabad. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b Mir Monaz Haque. "Mohammed Ali Bogra". bogra.org. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  4. ^ Burki, Shahid Javed (5 March 2015). "Mohammed Ali Bogra". Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  5. ISBN 9788124100837
    . Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  6. ^ "Chaudhury, Mohammad Ali". Banglapedia. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  7. ^ বাঙালি মোহাম্মদ আলী বগুড়া ছিলেন ২ বার পাকিস্তানের প্রধানমন্ত্রী. usbnews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  8. ^ বগুড়ার কৃতি সন্তান অবিভক্ত পাকিস্থানের প্রধানমন্ত্রী মরহুম মোহাম্মদ আলী চৌধুরী. বগুড়া লাইভ. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Syed Hamde Ali (20 October 2009). "Mohammed Ali of Bogra". The Daily Star. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  10. ^ "Ambassador of Pakistan Embassy, Tokyo". Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Hannan, Muhammad Abdul (1967). Mohammed Ali (Bogra): A Biographical Sketch. Dacca, East Pakistan: Sahitya Kutir. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  12. ^
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  13. ISBN 9788190583558
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  14. ^ Salam, Muhammad Abdus (17 April 2015). "In Memory of Nawab Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury". The News Today. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  15. ISBN 9781107091115
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  16. ^ a b Mohammad Ali and Hamide. corbis 1955 Retrieved 15 December 2012
  17. ^ Ansari, Sarah, "Polygamy, Purdah and Political Representation: Engendering Citizenship in 1950s Pakistan" in Modern Asian Studies 43, 6, pp. 1426–1428. Cambridge University Press 2008
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  19. ^
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  20. ^ a b "Ex-PM Bogra remembered". Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  21. ^
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  22. ^ a b "Muhammad Ali Bogra". Story of Pakistan. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
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  30. ^ a b "History in a nutshell (II) – TNS – The News on Sunday". TNS – The News on Sunday. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  31. ^ a b Balouch, Akhtar (8 September 2015). "The Pakistani Prime Minister who drove a locomotive". Dawn. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  32. ^
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  33. ISBN 9788176484695
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  43. ISBN 978-1-57607-712-2
    . Choudhury Muhammad Ali ... in October 1955 succeeded Mohammad Ali Bogra as prime minister. He presided over the introduction of the One Unit Scheme."
  44. ISSN 2048-8475
    . In 1954, Pakistan's then Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Bogra announced what he called the One Unit Province policy in which then West Pakistan's provinces were merged into one.
  45. ISBN 9781847207029
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  47. ^ The History And Culture of Pakistan, by Nigel Kelly. Retrieved 16 August 2015
  48. ^ Callahan, John P. (4 August 1955). "Gen. Mirza Picked to Head Pakistan". The New York Times (published 5 August 1955). p. 2.
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  50. ^
    OCLC 213786943
    . On 7 August, Major-General Iskander Mirza vacated the post of Interior Minister and assumed charge as the Acting Governor-General.
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  55. ISSN 0971-751X
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  56. ^ Muhammad Abdul Hannan (1967). Mohammed Ali (Bogra): A Biographical Sketch. Sahitya Kutir. p. 46.

External links

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Abol Hassan Ispahani
Ambassador to the United States

1952–1953 		Succeeded by
Amjad Ali
Preceded by
Amjad Ali
Ambassador to the United States

1955–1959 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Pakistan
1953–1955 		Succeeded by
Minister of Defence

1953–1954 		Succeeded by
Ayub Khan
Preceded by
Minister of Foreign Affairs

1954–1955 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Minister of Foreign Affairs

1962–1963 		Succeeded by
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