Baqi, Muhammad Abdullahil

Baqi, Muhammad Abdullahil (1886-1952) an Islami thinker, leader of ahl-e-hadith Jamaat, freedom fighter of the subcontinent, and member of the Indian central Legislative Council, the East Bengal Legislative Assembly and the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. He was born at Tubgram in the district of Burdwan, but later on settled at Nurul Huda in Dinajpur. After completing primary education at Lalbari Madrasa of Badarganj thana in the district of Rangpur, he received higher education in religion and Arabic literature at Kanpur Madrasa in India. With cooperation from Maulana mohammad akram khan, Maulana Muniruzzman Islamabadi and Dr muhammad shahidullah, he played an important role in the establishment and activities of anjuman-i-ulama-i-bangala. He was the president of Dinajpur District Congress for a long time. He was one of the leaders of the khilafat and non-cooperation movement. He had to go to jail twice in 1930 for joining the civil disobedience movement. In 1934, he was elected a member of the Indian central Legislative Council from the praja party.

He was elected the President of the All Bengal Peasant Society in 1937. He took an active part in the Pakistan Movement after joining the muslim league in 1946 and was elected a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly. After the establishment of Pakistan he was elected a member of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly as well as the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. He served as the President of East Bengal Muslim League for some time.

Before the partition of India he played an important role in various conferences of Ahl-e-Hadith. He Presided over the North Bengal Ahl-e-Hadith Conference held at Haragachha in Rangpur in 1935. After the partition of India he helped the formation of the East Bengal Jamiat-e-Ahl-e Hadith. Besides Bangla, he possessed fairly good mastery in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and English. A considerable number of his articles were published in the daily Al-Eslam. He also wrote a booklet titled Pirer Dhyan. He died on 1 December 1952. [Md Abdus Salam]