The Bangladesh National Congress ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় কংগ্রেস), formerly known as the Pakistan National Congress ( ur, پاکستان نیشنل کانگریس, bn, পাকিস্তান জাতীয় কংগ্রেস), was a political party that mainly represented the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and other religious minorities in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

. The party championed

secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on Secularity, secular, Naturalism (philosophy), naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the Separation of church and state, separation of relig ...

in the Muslim-dominated state, and its electoral and organisational strength was mainly based in

East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...

(also known as

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

, now the independent state of

History

Pakistan

The Pakistan National Congress traces its roots to the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

, which was the largest national political party in India. The Indian National Congress, led by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

Vallabhbhai Patel Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (; ; 31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950), commonly known as Sardar, was an Indian lawyer, influential political leader, barrister and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of I ...

and

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

championed secularism,

composite nationalism Composite nationalism ( Hindustani: ''mushtareka wataniyat'' or ''muttahidah qaumiyat'') is a concept that argues that the Indian nation is made of up people of diverse cultures, castes, communities, and faiths. The idea teaches that "nationali ...

, religious tolerance and opposed the

Pakistan movement The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the pe ...

led by the

Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties Subcontinent ; British India *All-India Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinah, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan. **Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organ ...

. However, ensuing communal conflict led to the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan from Muslim-majority provinces. The religious violence and mass migration as a result of partition significantly reduced the Hindu, Sikh and non-Muslim population of Pakistan. The leaders and activists of the Indian National Congress who continued to live in Pakistan joined with the representatives of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Christian communities to form a new political party, the Pakistan National Congress. Although most of them had opposed the partition of India, the members of the new party accepted the state of Pakistan and did not maintain any organisational links with the Indian National Congress. It stood for secularism, equality of all religions and citizens and protection of religious and ethnic minorities. The party sought peaceful and friendly relations between Pakistan and India. The party was one of many that opposed the suppression of democracy and civil rights by successive military regimes. The Pakistan National Congress also stood against the growth of

Islamic fundamentalism Islamic fundamentalism has been defined as a puritanical, revivalist, and reform movement of Muslims who aim to return to the founding scriptures of Islam. Islamic fundamentalists are of the view that Muslim-majority countries should return t ...

in Pakistani society, politics and government. The party also supported the Bengali language movement in East Bengal. National Congress was the only party at the opposition side of the house during the movement. In both Legislative Assembly and in

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

they exposed of the logical position of the language demand. In doing so some of the members were called Indian agents and were harassed by the government. Some leaders were also arrested and one of them was killed inside the jail. While partition riots and mass migration had significantly reduced the Hindu and Sikh population in West Pakistan, Hindus still constituted twenty percent of the population of East Bengal (also East Pakistan). Consequently, the PNC's base and organisation were concentrated in that province of Pakistan. In the 1954 elections held for the East Bengal Legislative Assembly, the Pakistan National Congress won 28 seats.

Basanta Kumar Das Basanta Kumar Das may refer to: * Basanta Kumar Das (Indian politician) (1898–1984) * Basanta Kumar Das (Pakistani politician) Basanta Kumar Das ( bn, বসন্ত কুমার দাস) was a Member of the 2nd National Assembly of Paki ...

Bhupendra Kumar Datta Bhupendra Kumar Dutta ( bn, ভূপেন্দ্র কুমার দত্ত; 8 October 1892 – 29 December 1979) was an Indian freedom fighter and a revolutionary who fought for Indian independence from British rule. In addition to ...

, Konteswar Barman and

Peter Paul Gomez Peter Paul Gomez was a Member of Parliament of Pakistan representing East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , fl ...

were the assembly members in 1955 from the party that time.

Bangladesh

After the

Bangladeshi War of Independence The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali ...

, the party briefly survived as the Bangladesh National Congress. The party stood one candidate, Sree Peter Paul Gomez in the 1973 election for Dacca-25,http://www.ecs.gov.bd/English/PrintElection.php?&electionid=1&party=13&PartyName=Bagladesh%20Jatiya%20Congress&id=partywise but did not win the seat. The party was dissolved in 1975 after the formation of the

Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ কৃষক শ্রমিক আওয়ামী লীগ "Bangladesh Worker-Peasant's People's League"; বাকশাল) was a political front comprising B ...

as the sole political party of Bangladesh. It is unknown how long the party survived in West Pakistan.

Members in the 1st Constituent Assembly

East Bengal

# Kiran Shankar Roy #

Prem Hari Barma Prem Hari Barman ( bn, প্রেমহরি বর্মন) was a Pakistani politician, and former leader of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Tribes in Dinajpur District, Bangladesh, Dinajpur, East Bengal. Biogra ...

Raj Kumar Chakraverty Raj Kumar Chakraverty was a Member of the 1st National Assembly of Pakistan as a representative of East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal ...

Sris Chandra Chattopadhyaya Siris Chandra Chattopadhyaya (18731967) was a Bengali civil servant and politician from East Bengal. He was a Member of the 1st National Assembly of Pakistan as a representative of East Pakistan. He was born in Dhaka. Career Chattopadhyaya was a m ...

Akhay Kumar Das Akshay Kumar Das ( bn, অক্ষয় কুমার দাস) (1903 - ?) was a Bengali Dalit politician of Pakistan, who served as a representative of East Pakistan in both the First and Second Constituent Assemblies, and held multiple mini ...

Dhirendra Nath Datta Dhirendranath Datta (2 November 1886 – disappeared 29 March 1971) was a Bengali lawyer by profession who was also active in the politics of undivided Bengal in pre-partition India, and later in East Pakistan (1947–1971). Early life Datta ...

Jnanendra Chandra Majumdar Jnanendra Chandra Majumdar (also Janendra Chandra Majumder) was an anti-colonial Bengali politician, and a representative of East Pakistan to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. A long-time associate of Indian National Congress, Majumdar sided ...

Birat Chandra Mandal Birat Chandra Mandal was a member of the 1st National Assembly of Pakistan as a representative of East Pakistan. He had argued for the constitution of Pakistan to be secular. Career Mandal represented Bengal Depressed Classes Association at the ...

Sri Dhananjoy M.A. B.L. Roy Dhananjoy Roy was a Member of the 1st National Assembly of Pakistan as a representative of East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, ...

Maudi Bhakesh Chanda Bhabesh Chandra Nandi was a representative of East Pakistan in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. In 1950, Nandi was elected to the East Bengal Provincial Assembly on a Pakistan National Congress ticket from the East Dacca constituency, after t ...

Harendra Kumar Sur Harendra Kumar Sur (1893 - 3 October 1964) was an anti-colonial Bengali politician, and a representative of East Pakistan to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. Sur was a lawyer by training. In the 1937 Bengal Provincial Assembly Elections, Sur f ...

# Kawivi Kerwar Datta

West Punjab

# Ganga Saran # Rai Bahadur Lala

References

Sources

* {{Cite book , last = Umar , first = Badruddin , author-link= Badruddin Umar, year = 1979 , script-title = bn:পূর্ব বাংলার ভাষা আন্দোলন ও তৎকালীন রজনীতি , title = Purbo-Banglar Bhasha Andolon O Totkalin Rajniti , url = https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.265835 , location = Dhaka , publisher = Agamee Prakashani , language = bn Politics of East Pakistan Hinduism in Pakistan Secularism in Pakistan Socialist parties in Pakistan Nationalist parties in Pakistan Defunct political parties in Pakistan Defunct political parties in Bangladesh 1947 establishments in Pakistan 1971 disestablishments in Pakistan 1971 establishments in Bangladesh 1975 establishments in Bangladesh Political parties established in 1947 Political parties disestablished in 1975