Jinnah was Hindu, his father sold fish: Fazlur Rahman

Member of Parliament for Kishoreganj-4 and BNP leader Advocate Md Fazlur Rahman has said that Muhammad Ali Jinnah's father sold fish and his real name was 'Jinnah Punja'.

He made these remarks while speaking as chief guest at a fresher's reception for the Kishoreganj District Students' Forum at the conference room of the administrative building of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University on Thursday evening, September 17.

Referring to the recent incident of breaking Jinnah's portrait at the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) archive, the Kishoreganj-4 MP said, "Muhammad Ali Jinnah's home was in Gujarat. He was born into a fish-selling family in Gujarat. Jinnah's father sold fish. Those who sold fish there were called 'Punja'. His real name was Jinnah Punja. He was a Hindu."

Highlighting the changes in Jinnah's political position, Fazlur Rahman said he was initially associated with the Congress. He later joined the Muslim League in 1913. He also played an important role in the 1916 Lucknow Pact between the Congress and the Muslim League. His 14 points announced in 1929 included various constitutional demands, including political representation for Muslims, separate electorates and provincial autonomy.

Speaking on the role of Bengali leaders in the creation of Pakistan, Fazlur Rahman said, "We all created Pakistan together, we do not deny that. But after creating it, when we saw that Pakistan was not good, we started fighting in '52 itself."

The university's Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain was the main discussant at the event. Kishoreganj District Council Administrator Khaled Saifullah Sohel Khan was the inaugurator.

The event was presided over by Associate Professor Alfarun Nahar Ruma of the university's Economics Department and conducted by Md Nizam Uddin, lecturer at Rabindra Srijon Kala University. University Treasurer Professor Dr Mohammad Imdadul Huda and others were present as special guests.