Chowdhury, Ashraf Ali Khan

Chowdhury, Ashraf Ali Khan (1878-1941) lawyer, politician. He was born in 1878 at Natore. His father Khan Bhahadur Ershad Ali Khan Chowdhury was a member of Bengal Legislative Council. His mother Masirunnesa Khanam was the daughter of a zamindar of Shahjadpur.

Ashraf Ali Khan went to England for study of Barrister-at-Law in 1909. He returned home as a barrister in 1912 and joined the Calcutta High Court bar. Ashraf Ali Khan Chowdhury had his initiation in politics under the guidance of his father. But his political preceptor was Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury, a zamindar of Dhanbari in the district of Tangail. Between 1905 and 1909, Ashraf Ali Chowdhury had vital role in floating the East Bengal and Assam Provincial Muslim Educational Society and in formation of All-India Muslim League.

Ashraf Ali Khan was elected a member of the Bengal Legislative Council in 1928 from Natore. For his excellence in legal profession, he was offered the assignment of a Judge in the Calcutta High Court in 1932. But he did not accept the offer, rather preferred the continuation of his political career. He was elected a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly from Natore in 1937 as a nominee of Muslim League. He was elected deputy speaker of the Assembly. He died in Kolkata on 8 December 1941. [Mazharul Islam Taru]