Salma Sobhan
Encyclopedia
Salma Sobhan (August 11, 1937 - December, 2003), was a prominent female Bangladesh
i barrister
, human rights activist and academic.
was the first foreign secretary of Pakistan
and mother Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah
, one of the first 2 women members in Pakistan's Constituent Assembly, later serving as Pakistan's delegate to the UN and Ambassador to Morocco. Her mother was a member of the Suhrawardy family of Calcutta. On her mother's side she was a niece of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
, premier of Bengal
and Prime Minister of Pakistan
, and on her father's side she was a niece of Muhammad Hidayatullah, Vice President and Chief Justice of India
. Her sister is the Princess Sarvath of Jordan.
in England and studied law at Girton College, Cambridge
, in 1958. She was called to the Bar from Lincoln's Inn
in 1959 and became the first Pakistani woman barrister. She began working with a law firm in Karachi. After her marriage she moved to Dhaka, where her husband taught economics. She also began teaching at the law faculty at Dhaka University. She also worked with Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (Bilia) from 1981 to 1988, and served as editor of the Supreme Court Law Reports (SCLR) for several years.http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/12/31/d31231011616.htm
was a supporter of the Bangladesh movement and was close to the Awami League http://www.adhunika.org/heroes/salma_sobhan.html. He was on the hit list of the Pakistani military and had gone into hiding. Salma Sobhan and her children left the country for England.
She later also started Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (Blast) and Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (Brac).
For her work she was awarded US Lawyer's Committee Human Rights Award.
, a noted economist. They had three sons, her eldest son Telmud died in an accident at the age of 19 in 1981. Her elder son Babar works for UNDP, her younger son Zafar Sobhan is the assistant editor of the Bangladeshi English daily, The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
recently instituted an award in her name.http://www.adhunika.org/heroes/salma_sobhan.html
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, human rights activist and academic.
Family and education
Salma Rasheeda Akhtar Banu, known as Salma Sobhan, was born in London in 1937 to a prominent Indian Muslim family. Her father Mohammed IkramullahMohammed Ikramullah
Mohammad Ikramullah KCMG was a prominent figure in the administration of Pakistan at the time of independence. As a member of the provisional government of Pakistan, before the independence, he was Secretary and Advisor at the Ministries of Commerce, Information and Broadcasting, Commonwealth...
was the first foreign secretary of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and mother Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah
Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah
Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah , was a prominent Pakistani female politician, diplomat and author. She was the Ambassador of Pakistan to many countries.-Family and education:...
, one of the first 2 women members in Pakistan's Constituent Assembly, later serving as Pakistan's delegate to the UN and Ambassador to Morocco. Her mother was a member of the Suhrawardy family of Calcutta. On her mother's side she was a niece of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani-Bengali politician and statesman who served as 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 till 1957, and a close associate of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime minister of Pakistan...
, premier of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
and Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
, and on her father's side she was a niece of Muhammad Hidayatullah, Vice President and Chief Justice of India
Chief Justice of India
The Chief Justice of India is the highest-ranking judge in the Supreme Court of India, and thus holds the highest judicial position in India. As well as presiding in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice also head its administrative functions....
. Her sister is the Princess Sarvath of Jordan.
Early career
Salma was educated at Westonbirt SchoolWestonbirt School
Westonbirt School is an independent day and boarding school for girls located in Gloucestershire in South West England. Founded in 1928, it is a member of the Allied Schools organisation...
in England and studied law at Girton College, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, in 1958. She was called to the Bar from Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
in 1959 and became the first Pakistani woman barrister. She began working with a law firm in Karachi. After her marriage she moved to Dhaka, where her husband taught economics. She also began teaching at the law faculty at Dhaka University. She also worked with Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (Bilia) from 1981 to 1988, and served as editor of the Supreme Court Law Reports (SCLR) for several years.http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/12/31/d31231011616.htm
Bangladesh Movement
Her husband, Rehman SobhanRehman Sobhan
Rehman Sobhan is a prominent Bangladeshi economist and civil society leader. He played a leading role in the Bengali nationalist movement in the 1960s, including authoring the Two Economies Theory and drafting the Six point demands of Bengali nationalists...
was a supporter of the Bangladesh movement and was close to the Awami League http://www.adhunika.org/heroes/salma_sobhan.html. He was on the hit list of the Pakistani military and had gone into hiding. Salma Sobhan and her children left the country for England.
Legal Aid
In 1982, she resigned from the faculty and along with Dr.Hameeda Hossain founded the human rights organisation, Ain-O-Salish Kendra.She later also started Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (Blast) and Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (Brac).
For her work she was awarded US Lawyer's Committee Human Rights Award.
Ain-O-Salish Kendra
The organization was initially started as a legal aid organization providing free legal services to the poor, particularly women. They were also involved with Public Interest Litigation and campaigning for rights of prisoners, housing rights and rights of migrants.Marriage and children
She married Dr.Rehman SobhanRehman Sobhan
Rehman Sobhan is a prominent Bangladeshi economist and civil society leader. He played a leading role in the Bengali nationalist movement in the 1960s, including authoring the Two Economies Theory and drafting the Six point demands of Bengali nationalists...
, a noted economist. They had three sons, her eldest son Telmud died in an accident at the age of 19 in 1981. Her elder son Babar works for UNDP, her younger son Zafar Sobhan is the assistant editor of the Bangladeshi English daily, The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
The Daily Star is the largest circulating English daily newspaper in Bangladesh. Established by Syed Mohammed Ali in 14 January 1991, the newspaper is owned by Mediastar a venture of the Transcom Group, headed by Latifur Rahman...
Legacy
The organizations started by her continue to grow and flourish. The Protichi Trust started by Amartya SenAmartya Sen
Amartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
recently instituted an award in her name.http://www.adhunika.org/heroes/salma_sobhan.html