Biography of S. A. Sobhan

                                                        Biography

                                                        ========

                              

                             Syed Abdul Fazal Mohammad Abdus Sobhan

                                                            AKA

                                      S. A. Sobhan     1911  -  1971

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To the best of my knowledge and belief, Abba was born in Dhaka in the year 1911 A.D. I’m certain of his year of birth as I do remember it from seeing it on his passport.

There is a lot to be told about our father, often with our chests bloated with pride. He was the only son of our grandfather, Syed Abdul Wahab , who I was told was the son of Syed Abdul Hye and a Court Judge in Calcutta during King George VI's rule, son of King George V and grandson of Queen Victoria. Abba was orphaned at the age of seven and raised by his uncle. The Syed family tree dates back at least two centuries. The last remnant of the actual family tree was in the possession of a relative whom we knew as Alamgir Nana, who is also deceased.  I have seen it but Alamgir Nana never made a copy of it. In all fairness to Alamgir Nana, the size of the document was about 3' by 5' and would not fit a copy machine !

He was not only brilliant but also physically active being the Captain of his High School hockey team and later Tennis champion at the Presidency College in Calcutta. He was a sharpshooter and recognized marksman, with the uncanny skill of shooting a cigarette butt off his wife’s hand from twenty paces. He was awarded a six-shot 38-caliber Webley-Scott revolver with lifetime license by the British Government as a recognition of his marksmanship.

I’m not sure what his first job was, but my knowledge of his earliest occupation was serving as a Civil Defense Officer during World War II. His job was to protect civilian life during the air raids. After the War he was stationed in the District of Noakhali, and held the distinct honor of raising the Pakistan flag when partition took place on August 14, 1947. He told me he met Mahatma Gandhi when Gandhiji visited Noakhali,  being one of the worst riot-stricken regions in Bengal.

Between 1947 and 1952 Abba apparently lived between Noakhali and Faridpur since  Salim was born in January of 1951 , Nayeem was born in November of the same year (they are separated by 10 months according to Ammi) and Nasim was born the following year. Nanchu and Meher were born in Karachi In 1956 and 1957 respectively. Then came Jinnah and Glory, both born in Dhaka in 1958 and 1959. Rukhsana, Munna and Nannie were  also all born in Karachi in the years 1961, 1962 and 1966 respectively. I am quite certain of the years of birth of the first three and don’t believe too far off for the rest of us.

The flip-flopping of our cities of birth was the result of continuous changes of Abba’s venues of service between East and West Pakistan.  After the break-up of British India into India and Pakistan in 1947, Abba was absorbed in to the Civil Service of Pakistan. The CSP designation was an honored classification for civilian employees, with only a handful qualifying for those positions coming from East Pakistan.

After 1947, Abba served as Deputy Commissioner in the Districts of Faridpur and Noakhali. After these assignments in East Pakistan, he was appointed as Deputy Secretary for the Ministry of Defense in 1955 and for the first time stationed in Karachi, West Pakistan, where we lived in Defense Housing Society. At this juncture the only children he had were his oldest daughter, Farida Fatima, myself, Nayeem and Nasim. Nanchu and Meher were apparently born between the years of 1955 and 1957 because in 1958 he was back in Dhaka to serve as Development Commissioner for East Pakistan. We lived a couple of years in the-then Governors House compound. Jinnah and Glory were born in those two years.

At the Ministry of Finance - Govt.of Pakistan

In 1960, Abba was transferred back to Karachi. This time as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance and after a few months re-positioned as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Industries. Growing more powerful in the Government of Pakistan, Pakistani Industrialists, particularly textile mill owners crowded his office for licensing permissions. They deluged him with gifts often sent directly to our house. From bales of sample clothing and even bicycles, there was evidently little that Abba could have asked for and not been given by them. But Abba was not only a proud man who held his head up high, but also a man of immaculate honesty.  His integrity was never for sale.

 In 1961 he went back to Dhaka as Additional Chief Secretary for East Pakistan, with government housing at 8/A Minto Road, known for its residences for senior government officials. This was a shorter, year-long assignment before being transferred back to Karachi to an even higher position as Secretary in the Planning Division of the Government of Pakistan, with his office next to President Ayub Khan at the President’s Secretariat. In this capacity, Abba was the highest serving civilian Bengali in the Pakistan Government which had been historically predominantly run by West Pakistanis. This was considered critical enough by the Government for him to be provided with armed 24-7 bodyguards. This was Abba’s last position with the Government of Pakistan. He officially retired in 1966 due to failing health after two heart attacks and acute financial pressures from the mishandled hotel business he had established in Dhaka in between 1960 and 1962.

During the years of Abba’s tenure as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Industries and Secretary, Planning Division, Abba was frequently  sent in trade delegations countries including France, Germany, Japan and Thailand to finalize trade agreements. 

Pakistan Trade Delegation to Turkey

         Pakistan Trade Delegation to Japan

Prior to his retirement years in Karachi, he was appointed to the Board of Governors for the World Bank.
  

As Alternate Governor for IBRD-IDA (International Bank of Reconstruction and Development-International Development Association),subsidiaries of the World Bank – and represented Pakistan at the annual IBRD-IDA, he addressed the meeting held in Washington DC on September 30, 1963. This session was welcomed by John F. Kennedy , then President of the United States. The worldwide significance of this meeting was emphasized by JFK  by his words :

“…There is no more important group, it seems to me, in the free world than you gentlemen who are here; no group it seems to me bears greater responsibility. If you are able to conduct your affairs with success, it benefits all of the people all around the globe, and therefore we regard this meeting as perhaps the most important that takes place in our capital this year….”

 JFK was assassinated 52 days later on November 22, 1963. 

On May 1, 1971 Abba passed away after his third heart attack. His failing health was severely aggravated by financial conditions resulting from what appeared to have been a cloak and dagger conspiracy of his closest “friends” and family. The mental agony from the surrounding blood-bath in Dhaka that took place on March 25, 1971 performed by the Occupation Army probably contributed equally to Abba’s untimely demise. He exhaled his last breath in my arms. His last words were “I’m sorry my son”.

             (Read about his pre-partition appointments as an ICS officer)

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