Maulana Bhashani
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Maulana Bhashani (full name Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani) (Bengali: মাওলানা ভাসানী) was a popular political leader in Pakistan and Bangladesh, a self-educated, village-based man. He was born in 1880 in Dhangara, Tangail in erstwhile Bengal (Bangladesh). Bhashani was the son of Haji Sharafat Ali Khan. He gained immense popularity among peasants. Because of his Maoist inclincations, he was nicknamed the Red Maulana. He was one of the founding members and President of the National Awami Party(NAP). He fought against colonialism, both British and Pakistani. His support for President Ayub Khan's in the 1965 Presidential elections against his own nominee Fatima Jinnah triggered a split in the party in 1967. His decision to boycott the 1970 Pakistan general elections effectively led to the electoral sweep by erstwhile opponent Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He died on 17 November 1976 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and was buried at Santosh, Tangail.
