Kazi Zafar Ahmed

East Pakistan Students' Union

He started his political career while studying at Rajshahi College by joining the East Pakistan Students' Union (now Bangladesh Students' Union). Later he was elected the Joint Secretary of the Rajshahi District unit of East Pakistan Students' Union. During his college days he also got associated with the Communist Party of East Pakistan. He worked to increase the organizational activity of Rajshahi District East Pakistan Students' Union. He also attended various regional and District Students' conference in North Bengal. During this he met Muhammad Shahidullah in the Ishwardi Students' conference.

After his admission in Dhaka University, he was elected the office secretary of the Central Committee of East Pakistan Students' Union in 1958. On 7 October 1958 Martial law was imposed throughout Pakistan and several political leaders were arrested. Zafar was in Khulna at that time. After the Martial law was declared he went in concealment of identity. He went to Comilla and began to teach there in a High School. He stayed there until June 1959.

National Awami Party

After independence, he joined the National Awami Party of Maulana Bhashani and became its Secretary General. He supported the ideology of Islamic socialism by Maulana Bhashani.^[9] He declared that he would form a responsible opposition party.

United Peoples' Party

He formed the United Peoples' Party (UPP) on 17 November 1974 with Captain Abdul Halim Chowdhury.^[5] He worked with the People's Democratic Party under President Ziaur Rahman after he assumed the presidency through a referendum.^[5] Ahmed became Minister of Education.^[5]

Jatiya Party

Ahmed also played a leading role in the anti-military rule movement against President Hussain Muhammad Ershad. But the period since 1975 in Bangladesh witnessed realignment of politics and leaders leaving their old parties and joining new ones. Ahmed dissolved his UPP and joined President Ershad's Jatiya Party.^[10] On 3 July 1985, he was made a Minister in the cabinet of President Ershad.^[11] Ershad on 3 March 1988 made Ahmed the deputy prime minister under Prime Minister Moudud Ahmed.^[10] He defended the decision of Ershad to make Islam the state religion of Bangladesh as move against fundamentalism on 6 June 1988.^[12] He served in the Ershad Government as Minister of Commerce from 1986 to 1989.^[13] In August 1989, he was appointed prime minister replacing Moudud Ahmed who was made vice-president.^[14] He served as the prime minister from August 1989 to 6 December 1990.^[13] He fled to India after Ershad resigned from power.^[13] He became known as Sugar Zafar for his role in the theft of a sugar shipment.^[15] Ahmed criticised Ershad for joining the Bangladesh Awami League government in 1997 and created his own party called Jatiya Dal,^[16] which joined the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Ershad was imprisoned since he lost power and was freed in 1996 after Bangladesh Awami League came to power.^[17]

Ahmed was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by a Dhaka court in November 1999 on corruption charges related to the misappropriation of funds meant for an orphanage.^[15][13] He moved to Australia and successfully applied for asylum.^[13] In Australia he was able to access government disability pension for the treatment of his kidney.^[15] John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, called an inquiry into how Ahmed was able to secure asylum.^[15]

Ahmed competed in the 2008 Bangladeshi general election from Comilla-11.^[18] Ahmed, the presidium member of Jatiya Party, criticised Ershad for agreeing to join the 2014 Bangladesh election organised by Bangladesh Awami League-led coalition government.^[19] On 5 May 2013, he went on the stage at a Hefajat-e Islam rally in Motijheel.^[20]

Jatiya Party (Zafar)

In 2013, amid internal conflict over joining the interim government ahead of the 2014 Bangladeshi general election, he was suspended from Jatiya Party by Ershad and a few hours later, Ahmed tried to expel Ershad from the Jatiya Party,^[21] after which he formed his own faction of Jatiya Party.^[22] Golam Moshi joined the Ahmed faction of Jatiya Party.^[23] In January 2014, he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led 20-party alliance with his faction of Jatiya Party.^[2][22]