Khan, Gaznafor Ali

Khan, Gaznafor Ali (1872-1959) government officer, social worker. He was born on 1872 at Birahimpur village of Shylhet. His father Abid Khan was a descendant of an Afghan chieftain who had come to Bengal during the Mughal rule.

Gaznafer Ali Khan passed the entrance examination from Calcutta M'a'dr'a's'a in 1890 and FA examination in 1892. He went to England for higher education in 1893. He passed the BA examination from Cambridge University. Gaznafor Ali Khan passed the Indian Civil service examination (ICS) in 1897. He was the first Muslim ICS of Assam and Bengal. On December 1899 he joined the Indian Civil Service. In service life he spent most of his time in Madhya Pradesh of India. In 1915 Goznafor Ali Khan was promoted to the post of Deputy Commissioner. In 1926 he got the promotion in service and joined at Nagpur as a Commissioner. In 1928 he was nominated to the member of legislative assembly by the Indian government. In 1932 Gaznofor Ali Khan retired as a commissioner of Nagpur division after holding of different important posts. The British government conferred on him the title “ The Officer of The British Empire'; and CIE for the recognition of his efficiency in work. 

Later in life Bachelor Gaznafor Ali Khan dedicated himself to the development of a desolated village of Sylhet leaving the city. He dug water pools, built road, school and hospital, established agricultural education and weaving factory in the village. These activities make him memorable forever. He died on 26 March 1959 in Sylhet. [Delwar Hassan] [Hasan, Delwar  Writer and researcher, Dhaka]