Habibullah, Syed Abul Mansur

Habibullah, Syed Abul Mansur (1917-1996) popularly known as Mansur Habib, was a communist activist in the 1940s. Abul Mansur Habibullah was born in Burdwan and was elected General Secretary of the Bengal Provincial Krishak Sabha in 1944. Mansur Habib led the tebhaga movement centrally and he wrote the famous pamphlet: Langal Jar Jami Tar (one who owns the plough owns the land).

After the partition of 1947, he came to East Bengal and became a provincial committee member of the East Pakistan Communist Party. In 1949 he was arrested and kept confined in Rangpur jail. Later he was transferred to Rajshahi Jail. On 24 April 1950, he was seriously injured by police firing in the Khapda Ward. In 1952 he was expelled from Pakistan.

Returning to India he joined the Communist Party of India again. In 1962 Habibullah was elected member of the West Bengal Assembly from Manteswar Thana of Burdwan district. Since then he held many public offices including Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly and Law and Religious Affairs Minister of the West Bengal Government. [Syed Ali Imam]