Remembering Nawab Habibullah

Syed Muhammad Shoeb Daily Sun 23rd January, 2018 10:17:46

Khwaja Habibullah, son of Nawab Khwaja Salimullah, was born on 26 April 1895. He received
schooling at St.
Pauls School Darjeeling and later at St Vincent, Eastbourne in England. In 1915 when his father
died, he, as the eldest son, was made the Nawab of Dhaka.
When the First World War began in 1914, British government needed a lot of soldiers. The
government first recruited a medical team from Bangalees in June 1915. They performed
extraordinarily in the battlefield in Mesopotamia. Cashing in on their fame, Bangali leaders raised the
demand of forming a Bengali Regiment Committee or Bangali Paltan. The government took the
demand positively as it needed more soldiers and announced the formation of Bangali Paltan on 7
August 1916.
Recruitment in Bangali Paltan formally began in Kalkata on 30 August 1917 and then in Dhaka on 28
September of the same year. Nawab Khawaja Habibullah supported the Paltan formation from the
very beginning and played an active role in its recruitment in Dhaka.
He set out for Karachi from Dhaka on 26 April 1917 to join the Palton. On the eve of his departure,
on that evening, Dhaka Bar Association arranged a farewell party for him, presided over by Ananda
Chandra Roy.
That the Nawab of Dhaka himself embarked on for the Palton created quite a stir across the country
and many come forward to follow his foot step. Also the national and regional newspapers published
the news with much importance. Nawab’s joining in Paltan emotionally touched provincial Governor
Lord Ronaldshay and he made an example of him while speaking at various places.
The Nawab’s badge number in army was 465, that means of the 6,000 soldiers, he was 465th to join
the Paltan and 464 joined before him. In order to make the Bangali Paltan organizationally strong
and ready to take part in war, soldiers were given quick promotion. As a result, soon after joining the
Paltan in Karachi, Nawab was promoted to the post of Nayak. The first regiment of the Paltan left
Karachi for Baghdad through Bushra in the month of July in 1917. Another regiment, consisted of
400 soldiers, was set to be deployed in the battle zone in November. Until then, the soldiers of the
regiment, including the Nawab, were allowed to go on vacation in Bangladesh.
During his life in Army, Nawab used to stay in barracks, sleep in bed made of rope and dine at
Langar Khana (Mess or Canteen for common soldiers). He went through all the training required for
soldiers and very soon he himself became a weapon trainer. Soldier Mahabub wrote: ‘Saw the most
handsome man; as if a hero lying flat in the dust and teaching his team Musketry Drill. Muhini said,
he is the Nawab of Dhaka, Khwaja Habibullah.’
Nawab Habibullah was promoted to the post of Jamadar (first commissioned rank in Indian Army) on
23 February 1918. Governor Lord Ronaldshay was very pleased to hear about the promotion of
Nawab’s rank in the army. He expressed it publicly while speaking to a public gathering on 5 April
1918.
While Nawab was discharging his duty as a soldier, his family back in Dhaka used to send parcels of
an assortment of things for his personal usages, but he would mostly distribute them among fellow
soldiers.
The conflicting nations of First World War reached a ceasefire deal on 11 November 1918. Then
Nawab took leave and set out for Dhaka from Baghdad on November 20. His coming back home
was featured in newspapers in Dhaka.
Finally, Nawab Habibullah returned to Dhaka on 27 December. Here is how a local newspaper
described Nawab’s homecoming: ‘The Nawab of Dhaka returned home last Friday. Many Hindu and
Muslim people thronged at the railway station and received Nawab through a heartfelt reception.
Muslim youth freed the horses from Nawab’s chariot and pulled it all the way to the Ahsan Manjil
from rail station. An auspicious rally that followed Nawab was big and impressive, with as many as
five thousand people chanting slogans in praise of Nawab while the drums were beating and bugles
blowing. On the occasion, several beautiful archways were built from the station to Ahsan Manjil and
colorful flags were planted on both sides of the road.’
As the Nawab came back hale and hearty from the war field a Milad Mahfil was arranged at Ahsan
Manjil on 28 December. Khwaja Shahabuddin presided over the Milad and gave a speech. Since the
Nawab returned, a huge number of visitors were thronging his residence at Ahsan Manjil almost
round the clock. Such an overwhelming number of visitors were indeed creating some problems for
Nawab in his family members. Therefore, visiting hours at Nawab’s residence was published in local
newspapers: 9-12am and 1-3pm for common people and family relatives respectively.
Upon returning from the war field, Nawab Habibulla ended his military life physically but he went on
supporting army in various ways. During post-war situation in 1919, it was decided to attach a
permanent Bengali Battalion with the Indian Army. In the light of his experience in Bangali Paltan,
Nawab felt the necessity of having a separate Company (military unit) in the Battalion for Muslims.
He sent a semi formal letter to Governor Lord Ronaldshay on 7 April 1919 via Chief Secretary of
Bangladesh. In the letter, Nawab put forth the reasons behind forming a separate Company for
Muslims in Bengali Battalion.
After military life Nawab Hibibullah joined politics and had had his stint with different political parties.
He was a minister of undivided Bengal and also of provincial government of East Pakistan. During
Second World War Nawab Habibullah was a minister of provincial government. In his relentless
effort to inspire Bengali youth to join army, Nawab visited many places with the Governor of
Bangladesh Sir John Arthur Herbert and spoke fervently in favor of army in mass gatherings and war
meetings.
In his closing days, he gave up politics due to broken health. He left his ancestral palace and resided
in a house called ‘Green House’ in the Paribag area of Dhaka where he died on 21 November in
1958. He was buried at the side of his father in Begum Bazar family graveyard.