Razia Banu (24 June 1926 – 10 May 1998) was an

Awami League The Awami League, officially known as Bangladesh Awami League, is a major List of political parties in Bangladesh, political party in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played the leading role in achievin ...

politician in Bangladesh and the former Member of the

Bangladesh Parliament The Jatiya Sangsad (), often simply referred to as Sangsad and also known as is the unicameral Legislature, legislative body of Bangladesh. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 350 seats, including 50 seats reserved exclusively for w ...

of women's reserved seat.

Early life and family

Razia Banu was born in the District of Dacca in the erstwhile

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal until 1937, later the Bengal Province, was the largest of all three presidencies of British India during Company rule in India, Company rule and later a Provinces o ...

, to a

Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims (; ) 'Mussalman'' also used in this work./ref> are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ...

family. Her father Wazir Ali, son of Baiyam Mia, was the first Bengali Muslim SDO. Her mother, Nafisa Bibi, was the daughter of

A. K. Fazlul Huq Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq (26 October 1873 – 27 April 1962), popularly known as Sher-e-Bangla, was a Bengalis, Bengali lawyer and politician who served as the first and longest Prime Minister of Bengal, prime minister of Bengal during the Britis ...

, the first

Prime Minister of Bengal The prime minister of Bengal was the head of government of Bengal Presidency, Bengal Province and the Leader of the House in the Bengal Legislative Assembly (1937—1947), Bengal Legislative Assembly in British India. The position was dissolved u ...

, and the sister of Bangladeshi politician A. K. Faezul Huq.

Career

In 1954, Banu was elected to the

East Bengal Legislative Assembly The East Pakistan Provincial Assembly, known as the East Bengal Legislative Assembly between 1947 and 1955, was the provincial legislature of East Pakistan between 1947 and 1971. It was known as the East Bengal Assembly from 1947 to 1955 when the ...

. After the

independence of Bangladesh The independence of Bangladesh was Proclamation of Bangladeshi Independence, declared from Pakistan on 26 March 1971, which is now celebrated as Independence Day (Bangladesh), Independence Day. The Bangladesh Liberation War started on 26 March ...

, she was elected to the first

Jatiya Sangsad The Jatiya Sangsad (), often simply referred to as Sangsad and also known as is the unicameral Legislature, legislative body of Bangladesh. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 350 seats, including 50 seats reserved exclusively for w ...

from women's reserved seat as an

candidate in 1973.

Personal life

Banu was married to Syed Mahbubur Rahman, a

Bangladesh government The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the le ...

secretary from

Batamara Batamara is a village in Barisal District in the Barisal Division of southern-central Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by popula ...

Bhola Bhola may refer to: *Bhola District, Barisal Division, Bangladesh **Bhola Sadar Upazila, sub-division of the district **Bhola Island, largest island of Bangladesh covering the district **Bhola (town), on the island *''Bholaa'', 2023 Indian action f ...

References

1926 births 1998 deaths A. K. Fazlul Huq Awami League politicians 1st Jatiya Sangsad members Women members of the Jatiya Sangsad 20th-century Bangladeshi women politicians Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League central committee members East Pakistan MLAs 1954–1958 Lady Brabourne College alumni Asutosh College alumni Members of the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh Burials at Banani Graveyard Women members of the Provincial Assembly of East Pakistan {{AL-politician-stub