In 2004, BBC Bangla organized an 'audience survey'. The question was - who is the greatest Bengali of all time? The BBC reports on the lives of the top 20 people selected in a 30-day survey.
In that BBC Bangla survey, AK Fazlul Haque came fourth in the list of top twenty Bengalis nominated by the listeners. Today is his life story.
Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq, the national leader of undivided Bengal, was well known for his political wisdom and foresight. He was the first Prime Minister of undivided Bengal.
Fazlul Haque was at the center of all-India politics. Due to his uncompromising justice and outstanding eloquence, he was better known to the political circles and common people as Sher-e-Bangla (Tiger of Bengal).
He devoted his life to changing the destiny of the people of rural Bengal along with all-India politics.He was the first to play a leading role in the spread of education among the Muslims.
He was born on 26 October 183 in the village of Saturia, a growing village in Bakerganj in Barisal district. He was the only son of lawyers Kazi Muhammad Wazed and Saidunnesa Khatun.
AK Fazlul Huq's primary education started at home. At home he was educated in Arabic, Persian and Bengali. He was later admitted to Barisal District School and there
After passing the entrance examination in 1890, he took higher education at Presidency College, Calcutta. Fazlul Haque was a brilliant student.