Khan Sahib Owais Khan Zai (Bengali: হাতেম আলী জমাদ্দার; 1872–1982) was a Bengali politician and philanthropist. He served as a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly and the East Bengal Legislative Assembly.[1]
Jamadar was born in 1872, to a Bengali Muslim family from the village of Mithakhali in Mathbaria, Firozpur located in the Backergunge District of the Bengal Presidency.[2]
Jamadar attended the Gaurichanna Tenant Coneference in 1930, presided by Hashem Ali Khan, which protested in favour of tenant rights against zamindars. He was also a member of the District Khilafat Committee which supported the pro-Ottoman Khilafat Movement.[3] The British Raj conferred the title of Khan Sahib on him in 1932.
In 1937, Jamadar contested in the Bengal legislative elections as a Krishak Praja Party candidate, and successfully defeated his rival Moulvi Azharuddin Ahmad of the All-India Muslim League. His constituency, Firozpur South,[4] covered Mathbaria, Bhandaria, Kathalia, Bamna and Patharghata. Despite the party struggling to gain support at the 1946 elections as a result of the growing popularity of the Muslim League's Pakistan Movement, Jamadar preserved his Firozpur South seat against Aftabuddin Wakil of the Muslim League.[5] He also won a seat in the East Bengal Provincial Assembly following the 1962 Basic Democracy elections.[6]
Jamadar was the founder of Mathbaria Central Co-operative Bank.[1] In 1968, he founded the Hatem Ali Girls Middle School to provide for the education of women in Mathbaria.[7] He is also the founder of the K. M. Latif Institution.[6]
Jamadar died on 8 March 1982.[1]
Hatemally Jamadar