Khurram Khan Panni

Khurram Khan Panni was born in 1921, to the Bengali Muslim family known as the Zamindars of Karatia. His father, Masud Ali Khan Panni, was descended from a Pashtun belonging to the Panni tribe, who had migrated from Afghanistan to Bengal in the 16th century where the family became culturally assimilated.[1]

He studied at St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, St. Xavier's Collegiate School, and Presidency University.[2]

Panni was elected to East Bengal Legislative Assembly but was unseated as he was underage, below 21.[2]

Panni contested the April 1949 election from Tangail as a Muslim League candidate against former Muslim League politician Shamsul Huq. On 26 April 1949, he lost the election to Huq for representing Nagarpur, Mirzapur and Basail.[3][4]

In 1954, Panni lost the election to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, candidate of the United Front.[2]

In 1962, Panni was elected to the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly and went on to become whip of the ruling party.[2]

In 1963, Panni was appointed the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Kenya.[5]

During Bangladesh Liberation war, Panni served as the ambassador of Pakistan to the Philippines in 1971.[6] He declared allegiance to Bangladesh during the war along with two other Bengali Pakistan ambassadors, Abdul Momin and Abul Fateh.[7]

In 1974, Panni was appointed the ambassador of Bangladesh to Indonesia.[8] He retired in 1975 and moved to Seattle, Washington, United States.[2]

Panni was the grandson of Wajed Ali Khan Panni, the zamindar of Karatia Zamindari.[1] His maternal grandfather was Abdul Halim Ghaznavi, for whom he worked as a Private secretary.[2]