91. Hashim Abdul Halim

Office held and date of assumption of office	-	Speaker; 6 May 1982 till date
Political Party	-	Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Date of Birth	-	5 June 1935
Marital Status	-	Married
Children	-	Four
Education	-	M.Com., LL.B., Hony. Doctorate awarded by Soka University, Tokyo
Career:
1963-1977	-	Practising lawyer
1977, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2001	-	Elected to West Bengal Legislative Assembly (6 terms)
1977- 1982	-	Minister, Judicial Department, Government of West Bengal
6 May 1982 onwards	-	Speaker, West Bengal Legislative Assembly
	-	Chairman of several Committees of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly
	-	Member, Standing Committee, Conference of Presiding Officers and Secretaries of Legislative Bodies in India
Conferences/Seminars attended and visits made:
1982, The Bahamas	-	28th CPA Conference
1983, Kenya	-	29th CPA Conference
1984, Isle of Man	-	30th CPA Conference
1985, Sasketchewan	-	31st CPA Conference
1986, U.K.	-	32nd CPA Conference
1987, Malaysia	-	33rd CPA Conference
1988, Australia	-	34th CPA Conference
1989, Barbados	-	35th CPA Conference
1990, Zimbabwe	-	36th CPA Conference
1990 Botswana	-	Executive Committee Meetings of the CPA
1991, Guernsey	-	Executive Committee Meetings of the CPA
1991, New Delhi	-	37th CPA Conference
1992, Cayman Islands	-	Executive Committee Meetings of the CPA
1992, The Bahamas	-	38th CPA Conference
1993, Cyprus	-	39th CPA Conference
1994, Canada	-	40th CPA Conference
1994, Norfolk Islands	-	Executive Committee Meetings of the CPA
1995, Malta	-	Executive Committee Meetings of the CPA
1995, Sri Lanka	-	41st CPA Conference
1996, Kuala Lumpur	-	42nd CPA Conference
1997, Port Louis	-	43rd CPA Conference
1998, Wellington 1999, Port of Spain 2000, London 2001, Australia 2002, Namibia 2003, Bangladesh	- - - - - - -	44th CPA Conference 45th CPA Conference 46th CPA Conference 47th CPA Conference 48th CPA Conference 49th CPA Conference Attended all the Conferences of the Presiding Officers and Secretaries of Legislative Bodies in India since 1982
	-	Attended meetings and Conferences of the World Federation of United Nations Association (WFUNA)
	-	Study tour to various countries
Interests/Recreations	-	Travelling, reading, promotion of parliamentary system, scientific knowledge  and sports, especially football and committed to the cause of human development, democracy and poverty alleviation
Travels abroad	-	Widely travelled
Additional Information:
	- - - - - -	Member, West Bengal State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Member, Executive Committee of the CPA (1990-92), (1993-96) and (2001-2003) Vice President, Executive Committee of the CPA President, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (West Bengal Branch) Vice-Chairman, CPA (1995-1996) Associated with Trade Union movements
	-	Secretary of the Government of India Forms and Press Workers’ Union (1965-77)
	-	Working President of the Union (1977-80)
	-	President, World Federation of United Nations Associations at San Francisco(1995)in USA , at Kolkata in (2000) and presently its Honorary President
	-	Vice-President of the National Federation of the Government of India Press Workers' Union
	-	Member, Iran Society
	-	Vice-President, All India Lawyers’ Association
	-	Chairman, Mahajati Sadan Board of Trustees
	-	Chairman, Millennium Committee, West Bengal
	-	Founder Secretary,  Chandney Sporting Club

The Honorable post of the Speaker of West Bengal is held by Shri Hashim Abdul Halim. The Unicameral Legislature of the state has unanimously chosen the veteran Communist leader as the Speaker from the 6th of May 1982 till the present day. Known for his ardent speeches, Shri Hashim Abdul Halim was born in 1935 on the 5th of June.







The Speaker of West Bengal, Shri Hashim Abdul Halim is credited with a distinguished academic career. The versatile leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is a post graduate in Commerce. He further pursued his academic career by securing the LL.B degree. To add feathers to his flourishing track record, the Soka University of Tokyo has rewarded Shri Hashim Abdul Halim with a honorary Doctorate Award.

Shri Hashim Abdul Halim started his career as a practicing Lawyer. However as destiny rules, the young law was elected as the member of the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal for the first time in 1977. Thereafter, there was no looking back for the dynamic leader of the state. He had won with landslide votes for sixth consecutive terms in the State Legislative Assembly of West Bengal.

The veteran politician has served in the numerous departments and committees of West Bengal. Shri Hashim Abdul Halim has represented West Bengal in numerous Seminars within and outside the country as well.


West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee during the photo session with State Finance minister Asim Dasgupta (left), longest-serving State Speaker in the country Hashim Abdul Halim (right) and members of 14th West Bengal Assembly on the last day of assembly sessions in Kolkata on March 24, 2011.


West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee during the photo sessions with State Finance minister Asim Dasgupta, longest-serving State Speaker in the country Hashim Abdul Halim and members of 14th West Bengal Assembly on the last day of assembly sessions in Kolkata on March 24, 2011.

Longest-serving West Bengal Speaker in the country Hashim Abdul Halim (left), West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and State Finance minister Asim Dasgupta (right) leave after the photo session with members of 14th West Bengal Assembly on the last day of assembly sessions in Kolkata on March 24, 2011.



The versatile nature of Shri Hashim Abdul Halim is reflected in his wide gamut of interests in the various fields of Sports, especially Football, alleviation of poverty, principles of democracy, and development of the various departments of the Parliament. Apart from being an ardent reader, the Speaker is known for his compassionate and empathetic attitude to the people of our country.