Abdullah al Mahmood

Legal and educational career

Mahmood began his career as a lawyer in 1924. He was a founding member of Sirajganj College. He also served as a member of the University of Dhaka Court from 1940 to 1951 and of its Executive Council from 1947, and was a member of the first syndicate of Rajshahi University.^[5] He was associated with the Central Cooperative Bank, serving as a director and later as chairman. He also served on the Indian Central Jute Committee and on the advisory board of the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research from 1945 to 1947.^[5]

Muslim League politics in British India

Mahmood entered politics through the All-India Muslim League. He was elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1937 and Indian Legislative Council in 1946.^[6][7] Contemporary and later accounts describe him as part of Muslim League politics in Bengal throughout the late 1930s and 1940s.^[8] During this period, the British colonial authorities offered him the honorary title of Khan Bahadur, however, he declined the title because of his involvement in the non-cooperation movement.^[5]

From 1943 to 1945, Mahmood served as parliamentary secretary in the Bengal government in the Civil Supplies and Food Department. During this period, he worked in the provincial political milieu associated with Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Khawaja Nazimuddin.^[9] In 1942 he was elected assistant secretary of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League Working Committee and became a member of the All-India Muslim League Council.^[10] He served as assistant secretary of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League from 1942 to 1948 and as president of the Pabna District Muslim League from 1942 to 1948. He was also a member of the Pabna District Board and chairman of Sirajganj Municipality from 1937 to 1949.^[5]

Mahmood represented Sirajganj at the Lahore session of the Muslim League in March 1940 and was later appointed convener of an All-India Muslim League conference in 1942.^[5] He was the only elected Bengal member present at a meeting of the Muslim League Executive Committee in Lucknow.

In 1945, Mahmood became the first Indian to be appointed chairman of the London-based Imperial Jute Committee. He also served in the Indian legislature in 1946 as a Muslim League politician from Bengal.^[5]

Pakistan period

After the Partition of India, Mahmood became a member of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan and served in Pakistan's first legislature.^[11] In May 1948, he was appointed joint chief whip.^[12][13]

On 14 November 1948, Mahmood was appointed deputy high commissioner of Pakistan in India, and he served in that office until 1952.^[14]

Mahmood later returned to the National Assembly during the Ayub Khan era. He was elected from Pabna-III to the 3rd National Assembly of Pakistan and from Pabna-II to the 4th National Assembly of Pakistan.^[1][2] From 4 September 1963 to 20 March 1965, he served in the cabinet of Ayub Khan as minister of industries and natural resources.^[15][16] He retired from politics in 1969 due to old age.^[5]