Abdul Monem Khan (28 July 1899 – 13 October 1971) was a Bengali politician of East Pakistan who was the longest-serving governor of East Pakistan from 1962 until 1969. He was assassinated in 1971 at aged 72.{{Cite news |url=https://opinion.bdnews24.com/2017/01/15/monem-khan-collaborator-martyr/ |title=Monem Khan . . . collaborator 'martyr' |date=2017-01-15 |work=bdnews24.com |type=Opinion |access-date=2018-08-23|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823141905/https://opinion.bdnews24.com/2017/01/15/monem-khan-collaborator-martyr/|archive-date=23 August 2018}}

Early life and education

Khan was born in Humayunpur village of Bajitpur Upazila, Kishoreganj to Kamar Ali Khan and Nasima Khatun. He studied in Mymensingh Zilla School graduating in 1916. He went on to Dhaka College and earned his bachelor of law degree from University of Calcutta in 1922. He got another law degree from the University of Dhaka in 1924.{{cite book |last=Islam |first=Sirajul |year=2012 |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |chapter=Khan, Abdul Monem |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Khan,_Abdul_Monem |editor2-first=Muhammad |editor2-last=Salam|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409170959/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Khan,_Abdul_Monem|archive-date=9 April 2022}}

Career

In 1927, Khan joined the Mymensingh District Bar. He was part of the Muhammadan Sporting Club of Mymensingh. In 1930, he worked with Subhas Chandra Bose to carry out aid operations after a flood in North Bengal. In 1932, he became the assistant secretary of the Mymensingh Anjuman-i-Islamia. He became the founding secretary of Mymensingh branch of the All India Muslim League in 1935.

In 1941, Khan was expelled from the Mymensingh district Muslim League due to cooperating with A. K. Fazlul Huq when Huq formed a coalition government with the Hindu Mahasabha, but the ban was lifted a few months later and Khan rejoined the Muslim League after Khan regretted his conduct.{{Cite book |last=Hashim |first=Abul |title=In Retrospection |publisher=Bangladesh Co-Operative Book Society ltd. |year=1998 |edition=2nd |location=Dhaka-Chittagong |pages=72–73}} Khan would then be appointed Assistant Secretary of the Mymensingh district Muslim League. From 1946 to 1954, he served as the chairman of the Mymensingh District School Board. In 1946, Abdul Monem Khan organized the Muslim National Guard in Mymensingh with 100,000 volunteers and became the Salar-i-Zilla or the commander-in-chief of the district. He was elected a member of the East Pakistan Muslim League Working Committee in 1947. He also became a Counselor at the All Pakistan Muslim League. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan and East Bengal Primary Education Board in 1948. He was appointed to the Bengal Defence Committee and the Provincial Armed Services Board in 1950.

Khan lost in the 1954 East Bengali legislative election. In 1962, he was elected uncontested a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He joined the cabinet led by President Ayub Khan becoming the Minister for Health, Labour and Social Welfare. During his ministry, seven medical colleges were established in East Pakistan and MBBS condensed course for the LMF doctors was introduced and the Institute of Postgraduate Medicine and Research (now Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University) was established. After two months, on 28 October 1962, he was appointed as the governor of East Pakistan.

=Governor of East Pakistan=

Khan rendered services during the tidal wave of Chittagong in 1963 and again during the aftermath of the cyclone of 1965. He helped in the establishment of Jahangirnagar University.{{cite web |url=http://bangabhaban.gov.bd/Homes/banglahistory_submenu/12/51 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414050508/http://bangabhaban.gov.bd/Homes/banglahistory_submenu/12/51 |archive-date=2016-04-14 |access-date=2018-08-22 |publisher=Bangabhaban |title=Governors and Acting Governors of East Bengal/ East Pakistan 1947-1971 |url-status=dead}} In July 1967, he converted Dighapatia Palace into Dighapatia Governor's House.{{Cite news |url=http://en.ntvbd.com/bangladesh/141881/Monem-Khan%E2%80%99s-nameplate-removed-from-Uttara-Ganabhaban |title=Monem Khan's nameplate removed from Uttara Ganabhaban |work=NTV |access-date=2018-08-23 |date=2017-07-15|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823110008/http://en.ntvbd.com/bangladesh/141881/Monem-Khan%E2%80%99s-nameplate-removed-from-Uttara-Ganabhaban|archive-date=23 August 2018}}

While the governor of East Pakistan, Khan remained loyal to the Ayub regime, making him unpopular to the people of East Pakistan. Under the pressure of the 1969 mass student uprising, he was removed and replaced by Mirza Nurul Huda as the new governor on 24 March 1969.{{cite book |last=Islam |first=Sirajul |year=2012 |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |chapter=Huda, Mirza Nurul |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Huda,_Mirza_Nurul |editor2-first=Muhammad |editor2-last=Salam|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919224721/https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Huda,_Mirza_Nurul|archive-date=19 September 2021}}

Death

In the Bangladesh Liberation War, Khan supported the Pakistan army.{{Cite news |url=http://www.observerbd.com/2014/10/25/50650.php |title=The Bengalis who let us down in 1971 |work=The Daily Observer |access-date=2016-07-30|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809212950/http://www.observerbd.com/2014/10/25/50650.php|archive-date=9 August 2018}} On 13 October 1971, he was shot at his Banani residence by a Mukti Bahini member named Mozammel Hoque.{{Cite news |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/bangladesh-news/east-pakistan-governor-monem-khan-was-murdered-on-the-gun-point-of-mozammel-haque-bng-dgtl-1.511377 |script-title=bn:মোনায়েমের হত্যাকারী দুঃসাহসী মোজাম্মেল হকের স্মৃতিচারণ |work=Anandabazar |date=2016-11-10 |access-date=2018-08-23 |language=bn|trans-title=Memoirs of Mozammel Haque, the adventurer who killed Monem|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124011758/https://www.anandabazar.com/bangladesh-news/east-pakistan-governor-monem-khan-was-murdered-on-the-gun-point-of-mozammel-haque-bng-dgtl-1.511377|archive-date=24 November 2020}} He later died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Hoque later earned Bir Protik title for this act.

Legacy

In 1964, the Government of East Pakistan allotted a 5.11-acre land for Khan's family at Banani near Banani Graveyard.{{Cite news |url=http://www.newagebd.net/article/2641/protesters-demand-cancellation-of-monem-khans-house-allotment |title=Protesters demand cancellation of Monem Khan's house allotment |work=New Age |access-date=2018-08-23|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327223143/http://www.newagebd.net/article/2641/protesters-demand-cancellation-of-monem-khans-house-allotment|archive-date=27 March 2019}} In November 2016, Dhaka North City Corporation demolished structures on a land in Banani occupied, as per the order of the then mayor Annisul Huq, for over five decades by the family of Khan.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/monem-khan-familys-structures-demolished-1309309 |title=Monem Khan family's structures demolished |date=2016-11-04 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-08-23|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328070840/https://www.thedailystar.net/city/monem-khan-familys-structures-demolished-1309309|archive-date=28 March 2019}}

In July 2016, during a raid by Dhaka Metropolitan Police in the Kalyanpur area of Dhaka, nine suspected militants were killed.{{Cite news |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/07/29/former-east-pakistan-governor-monem-khans-grandson-among-terrorists-killed-in-dhaka |title=Former East Pakistan governor Monem Khan's grandson among 'terrorists' killed in Dhaka |work=bdnews24.com |access-date=2018-08-23|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327222937/https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/07/29/former-east-pakistan-governor-monem-khans-grandson-among-terrorists-killed-in-dhaka|archive-date=27 March 2019}} Among them, Aqifuzzaman Khan, was identified as the grandson of Monem Khan.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/dhaka-raid-one-militants-ex-governor-monem-khans-grandson-1260883 |title=Dhaka raid: One of militants Monem Khan's grandson |date=2016-07-28 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-08-23|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108103943/https://www.thedailystar.net/city/dhaka-raid-one-militants-ex-governor-monem-khans-grandson-1260883|archive-date=8 November 2020}}

In January 2017, the Mymensingh District administration shut down a school, run by Nasreen Monem Khan, a daughter of Monem Khan.{{Cite news |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2017/01/22/bangladesh-closing-down-school-that-dubbed-pro-pakistan-monem-khan-martyr |title=Bangladesh closing down school that dubbed pro-Pakistan Monem Khan 'martyr' |work=bdnews24.com |access-date=2018-08-23 |date=2017-01-22|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327223432/https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2017/01/22/bangladesh-closing-down-school-that-dubbed-pro-pakistan-monem-khan-martyr|archive-date=27 March 2019}} It was established at his house at Notun Bazar Saheb Ali Road in Mymensingh town in 1996.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/monem-khan-martyr-1349509 |title=Monem Khan a martyr! |date=2017-01-23 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-08-23|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327232039/https://www.thedailystar.net/country/monem-khan-martyr-1349509|archive-date=27 March 2019}}

In July 2017, Khan's nameplate was removed from Uttara Ganabhaban.