Hashim Abdul Halim (5 June 1935 – 2 November 2015) was an Indian Communist and politician who was Speaker of the

West Bengal Legislative Assembly The West Bengal Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian states and territories of India, state of West Bengal. It is located in the B. B. D. Bagh area of Kolkata, the capital of the state. Members of the Legislative as ...

from 1982 to 2011.

Life and career

Halim started his career as a practising lawyer. Halim's father was Abdul Halim, one of the founders of the

Communist Party of India Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest Marxist–Leninist communist party in India and one of the nine national parties in the country. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur (formerly known as Cawnpore) on 26 December 1925. H ...

in Bengal. He was also an

Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

at the

Kolkata Municipal Corporation Kolkata Municipal Corporation (abbreviated KMC; also Calcutta Municipal Corporation) is the local government of the Indian city of Kolkata, the state capital of West Bengal. This civic administrative body administers an area of . Its motto, '' ...

, his uncle, M. Ishaque was a member of the Congress Party and a freedom fighter. He has also served as the Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and President of the World Federation of United Nations Association. A member of the

Communist Party of India (Marxist) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist communist List of political parties in India, political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in term ...

, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal for the first time in 1977. Thereafter, he served in the assembly for six terms, from 1977 to 2011. He was the Minister for Judicial Affairs in the

Government of West Bengal The Government of West Bengal also known as the West Bengal Government, is the subnational government of the Indian state of West Bengal , created by the National Constitution as the state's legislative, executive and judicial authority. The ...

from 1977 to 1982 and subsequently served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1982 to 2011. He was the MLA for

Amdanga Amdanga is a community development block that forms an administrative division in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Geography Amdanga, the eponymous CD Block headquarters, is located at . Amdanga CD Block is bounded ...

constituency from 1977 to 2006, when he shifted his constituency to the

Entally Entally (also spelt Entali) is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was considered close to the area which was home to the poor and the depressed castes.Nair, P. Thankappan in ''The Growt ...

constituency. He was the MLA from Entally until 2011. He has served in numerous departments and committees of West Bengal. Halim has also represented West Bengal at numerous seminars in India and abroad. Halim was the longest-serving speaker of any legislative assembly in India, serving for a consecutive 29 years from 6 May 1982 to May 2011. After the 2011 elections in West Bengal, Halim was replaced by

Biman Banerjee Biman Banerjee (born 28 December 1948) is an Indian politician who has been Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly since May 30, 2011. Being a member of All India Trinamool Congress, he is a sitting member of West Bengal Legislative As ...

as the Speaker of the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha. Halim held a master's degree in commerce, a bachelor's degree in law and was awarded an honorary doctorate by Soka University, Tokyo. He was married and had four children. His son, Fuad Halim, was the CPI(M) candidate for the

Ballygunge Ballygunge is a locality of South Kolkata, in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India. History The East India Company obtained from the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar, in 1717, the right to rent from 38 villages surrounding their settlement. Of thes ...

constituency in the 2011 West Bengal elections, but lost to

Trinamool Congress The All India Trinamool Congress (English: All India Grassroots Congress; AITC), colloquially the Trinamool Congress ( TMC) is an Indian political party which is predominantly active in West Bengal. The party is led by Mamata Banerjee, the cur ...

Subrata Mukherjee Subrata Mukherjee (14 June 1946 – 4 November 2021) was an Indian politician who was cabinet minister of the government of West Bengal and sitting member of West Bengal Legislative Assembly. He was a member of All India Trinamool Congress. H ...

by 41,000 votes. Halim died on 2 November 2015 in Kolkata at the age of 80.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdul Halim, Hashim 1935 births 2015 deaths West Bengal MLAs 1977–1982 West Bengal MLAs 1982–1987 West Bengal MLAs 1987–1991 West Bengal MLAs 1991–1996 West Bengal MLAs 1996–2001 West Bengal MLAs 2001–2006 West Bengal MLAs 2006–2011 Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from West Bengal State cabinet ministers of West Bengal Speakers of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly