23 Facts About Hamoodur Rahman

Hamoodur Rahman was born in Patna, Bihar, British India on 1 November 1910.

Hamoodur Rahman was the personal surgeon to the Emir of Kuwait.

Hamoodur Rahman's father in law, Ashraf Ali Khan Chowdhury was a barrister who was a practicing advocate in the Calcutta High Court.

Hamoodur Rahman was educated in Calcutta and entered in St Xavier's College of the University of Calcutta where he secured his graduation in BA.

Hamoodur Rahman went to the Great Britain to attend the University of London where he graduated with the LLB degree and resume his studies in Gray's Inn, London, and was called to the Bar in London in 1937.

Hamoodur Rahman was the first Legal Advisor State Bank of Pakistan and drafted all the State Bank of Pakistan laws and rules Supreme Court of Pakistan Hamoodur Rahman was appointed Advocate-General of East Pakistan in 1953, and held it until 1954 when he was appointed to the bench as a judge of the Dhaka High Court by the Governor of East Pakistan.

Justice Hamoodur Rahman served as a judge of the Dhaka High Court from 1954 until 1960 when he was appointed as Senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan by the President of Pakistan.

In 1968, Senior Justice Hamoodur Rahman Rehman was nominated as Chief Justice by outgoing Chief Justice Alvin Robert Cornelius; his appointment as Chief Justice was approved by President Ayub Khan.

Hamoodur Rahman's tenure witnessed the resignation of President Ayub Khan who invited Yahya Khan to take over the country through enforcing the martial law in 1969.

Hamoodur Rahman's stance stood firm against Yahya Khan's martial law but condone such actions by the application of doctrine of necessity.

Hamoodur Rahman, remained loyal to Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War and the war with India in 1971.

Hamoodur Rahman did not support the independence of Bangladesh and remained quiet throughout the events.

Hamoodur Rahman administered the oath of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as President of Pakistan in 1971 at the Supreme Court building.

Chief Justice Hamoodur Rahman retired with state honours in 1975 and administered the oath to appoint Senior Justice Muhammad Yaqub Ali as Chief Justice.

From 1971 until 1975, the Commission led by Hamoodur Rahman conducted several interviews of Pakistan military's senior officers, bureaucrats, politicians, activists, and the Bengali nationalists.

Hamoodur Rahman critically opined on Bhutto and, with some degree, implicated Bhutto of manipulating President Yahya Khan to take the military action as a solution.

Hamoodur Rahman noted that President Yahya Khan failed to seek a sincere political settlement with East Pakistan.

Hamoodur Rahman lived a very quiet life in Lahore and remained active in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Hamoodur Rahman was appointed the Chairman of Islamic Ideology after his retirement for 3 years, later he was appointed as an advisor to the President of Pakistan on constitutional affairs.

Hamoodur Rahman conducted a commission on election reforms and proposed the proportional representation system existing in Germany, Sri Lanka and many other countries.

Hamoodur Rahman died in Lahore due to a cardiac arrest on 20 December 1981.

Hamoodur Rahman was buried in Lahore with close judicial associates and friends attending his funeral.

Chief Justice Hamoodur Rahman remained very respected in Pakistan's judiciary even after his death, and is hailed for his honesty and patriotism that Senior Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday once publicly noted that "his Commission was the most honorable commission that was investigated by a Bengali Chief Justice, in spite of East-Pakistan disaster", in 2010.