22 Facts About Aftab Ali

Aftab Ali was an early 20th-century Pakistani Bengali social reformer, politician and entrepreneur.

Aftab Ali's work is recognised to have helped thousands of British Asian lascars to migrate, settle and find employment in Britain.

Aftab Ali was a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly and National Assembly of Pakistan, and served as the first Minister of Labour for East Pakistan.

Aftab Ali's father was a merchant on the Sylhet-Calcutta water route, owning a number of boats.

At the age of 18, Aftab Ali left Sylhet Government School in class 10 moving to Calcutta where he worked alongside Bipin Chandra Pal.

In 1923, Aftab Ali left Calcutta as a stoker on a ship bound for the United States.

Aftab Ali returned to Bengal in 1925, having been exposed to trade unionism and politics in the US, and with first hand experience of the poor working conditions of Indian seamen.

In 1925, Aftab Ali joined the Indian Seamen's Union in Calcutta and eventually rose to become the organisation's general secretary.

In January 1937, Aftab Ali united all of the various unions under one large federation known as the All-India Seamen's Federation.

Aftab Ali joined the Bengal Legislative Assembly in that year, following the 1937 Indian provincial elections.

Aftab Ali arrived at the United Kingdom in July 1939, spending a month in the country.

Aftab Ali attended Surat Alley's Indian Workers' Conference in London.

Aftab Ali appointed Alley as the London representative for his federation.

Aftab Ali was invited to another meeting by Benjamin Francis Bradley in Manchester with some Trade Union executives.

Aftab Ali was known to have visited Dundee before proceeding off to Switzerland with Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Abdul Mannan Chaudhury for the International Labour Conference in Geneva where he put forward the proposal for a 56-hour week at sea and a 48-hour week at port balance for Indian seamen.

Finally reaching an agreement with the British government, Aftab Ali called off the strikes.

On his return to Bengal, Aftab Ali became the vice president of the All-India Trade Union Congress and continued his role in the Bengal Legislative Assembly.

Aftab Ali managed to persuade Abdul Motaleb Malik to join the All-India Seamen's Federation in 1936.

Aftab Ali had close connections with the Indian Seamen's Welfare League led by Shah Abdul Majid Qureshi and Ayub Aftab Ali Master.

Aftab Ali played an instrumental role by opening a passport office in his house in Sylhet.

Aftab Ali attended the International Labour Conference hosted in Geneva in 1951, and in Havana in 1953.

Aftab Ali became the first Minister of Labour for East Pakistan and member of the 3rd National Assembly of Pakistan.