Amin ministry
Ministry of Nurul Amin | |
|---|---|
2nd Cabinet of East Bengal | |
| 1948–1954 | |
| Date formed | 15 September 1948 |
| Date dissolved | 14 March 1954 |
| People and organisations | |
| Governor | Frederick Chalmers Bourne A.S.M. Akram Feroz Khan Noon Abdur Rahman Siddiqui Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman |
| Chief Minister | Nurul Amin |
| No. of ministers | 9 |
| Ministers removed | 3 |
| Total no. of members | 12 |
| Member party | PML |
| Status in legislature | Majority 141 / 170 (83%) |
| Opposition party | PNC |
| Opposition leader | Basanta Kumar Das |
| History | |
| Election | 1946 |
| Outgoing election | 1937 |
| Legislature term | 1st East Bengal Legislative Assembly |
| Predecessor | Nazimuddin II |
| Successor | Huq III |
The Amin ministry was the second cabinet formed in the eastern province of Pakistan, East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan). It was formed in 1948 under the leadership of Nurul Amin, following the appointment of chief minister Khawaja Nazimuddin as the Governor-General of Pakistan. The cabinet, led by Amin and affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), lasted for nearly five years before being succeeded by the Third Huq ministry.
Background
On 15 August 1947, the day after the independence of Pakistan, the first provincial cabinet of East Bengal was sworn in at Curzon Hall in the provincial capital Dacca. The oath was administered by the provincial governor Frederick Chalmers Bourne to chief minister Khawaja Nazimuddin and two of his ministers.[1] On 11 September 1948, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Governor-General of Pakistan, died.[2] On 14 September 1948, Nazimuddin became the new governor-general.[3] On the same day, Nurul Amin, East Bengal's minister of civil supplies, returned to the provincial capital from the federal capital Karachi. It was stated that, at the call of the provincial governor, he would form a new cabinet with members of the previous cabinet.[4] The following day, in respect of Jinnah's death, the new cabinet members were sworn in without any formal ceremony. This cabinet had eight members, and Amin served as the chief minister.[5]
Dissolution
The disclosed documents of the United States stated that during the Bengali language movement, following the killing of students by police firing on 21 February 1952, chief minister Amin wished to resign amid ensuing unrest. At that time, two provincial ministers discussed forming a new cabinet with A. K. Fazlul Huq, who was then a supporter of the PML. However, under pressure from a group of government officials led by Aziz Ahmed, Amin did not resign at that time. The officials believed that if Huq became the next chief minister, he would include leftists and supporters of United Bengal in his cabinet, potentially leading to the disintegration of the province.[6] On 7 December 1953, ahead of the upcoming provincial legislative assembly elections, a resolution was adopted at a public meeting of the East Pakistan Youth League held in Barisal, calling for the dissolution of the cabinet and the formation of a caretaker cabinet.[7] In the first ever East Bengal Legislative Assembly election, held over four days from 8 to 12 March 1954, the United Front, the coalition of four parties, won 228 out of 309 seats.[8] On 14 March 1954, the term of the first East Bengal Legislative Assembly ended, and the cabinet was dissolved.[9] As a result, on 3 April 1954, the Third Huq ministry was formed under the leadership of Huq, leader of the newly-founded Krishak Sramik Party (KSP), a constituent of the United Front.[10]
Members
The cabinet was composed of the following ministers:[5][11]
| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister's Office and Home Department | 15 September 1948 | 14 March 1954 | |
| Education Department | 15 September 1948 | N/A | |
| Communication, Public Works and Irrigation Department | 15 September 1948 | N/A | |
| Civil Supplies Department | 15 September 1948 | N/A | |
| Health and Local Government Department | 15 September 1948 | N/A | |
| Relief, Rehabilitation, Registration and Prisons Department | 15 September 1948 | N/A | |
| Revenue and Agriculture Department | 15 September 1948 | N/A | |
| Commerce, Labour and Industries Department | 28 October 1949 | N/A | |
| Co-operation Department | 12 June 1950 | N/A |
Former members
| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance, Commerce and Industry Department | 15 September 1948 | 27 October 1949 | |
| Agriculture, Cooperative and Labor Department | 15 September 1948 | 11 June 1950 | |
| Agriculture and Labor Department | Hamiduddin Ahmad Khan | 12 June 1950 | N/A |
References
- ^ "হিন্দু-মুশ্লিম সহযোগিতায় ঢাকায় স্বাধীনতা দিবসের উৎসব". Jugantar Patrika (in Bengali). 17 August 1947. p. 8.
- ^ "MR. M. A. JINNAH PASSES AWAY". Amrita Bazar Patrika. 12 September 1948. p. 1.
- ^ "NAZIMUDDIN SWORN IN". Amrita Bazar Patrika. 15 September 1948. p. 1.
- ^ "মিঃ নূরুল আমিন ঢাকায় প্রত্যাবর্তন". Jugantar Patrika (in Bengali). 16 September 1948. p. 6.
- ^ a b "পূর্ব্ববঙ্গের নূতন মন্ত্রিসভা বিভিন্ন দপ্তর বণ্টন". Jugantar Patrika (in Bengali). 17 September 1948. p. 6.
- ^ Khan, Mizanur Rahman (4 February 2014). "বায়ান্নর গোপন মার্কিন দলিল নূরুল আমীনের মধ্যরাতের পদত্যাগ". Prothom Alo (in Bengali).
- ^ "পূর্ববঙ্গে তত্ত্বাবধায়ক মন্ত্রিসভা দাবী". The Azad (in Bengali). 8 December 1953. p. 5.
- ^ Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir, eds. (2012). "Elections 1954". Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ^ "অদ্য হইতে পূর্ব্ববঙ্গে ৯২(ক) ধারা প্রবর্ত্তন". The Azad (in Bengali). 15 March 1954. p. 1.
- ^ "পূর্ববঙ্গে নূতন মন্ত্রিসভার কার্য্যভার গ্রহণ". The Azad (in Bengali). 4 April 1954. p. 1.
- ^ "THE EAST BENGAL CIVIL LIST" (Document). Government of East Bengal. 1953. p. 3.