Dr Zohra Begum Kazi occupies a distinguished place in the history of medicine in Bengal. Remembered as a pioneering Bengali Muslim woman physician in the Indian subcontinent, she devoted her life to patient care, women’s health and medical education. Her professional achievements challenged the social barriers of her time and helped pave the way for future generations of women in medicine.
Born on 15 October 1912 in Ranjangaon, in the United Provinces of British India, Kazi came from a distinguished family. Her father, Dr Kazi Abdus Sattar, was a prominent politician whose family hailed from Gopalpur village in Kalikini upazila of Madaripur district, in present-day Bangladesh.
Kazi demonstrated exceptional academic ability, determination and self-confidence from an early age. She consistently excelled in her studies, overcoming the social constraints that limited women’s educational and professional opportunities in the early 20th century. Her determination eventually led her into a profession in which women, particularly Muslim women, remained under-represented.
In 1935, she graduated from Delhi’s Lady Hardinge Medical College with an MBBS degree, securing first place in the first division. In recognition of her outstanding academic performance, she received a medal from the Viceroy of British India. At a time when female participation in higher education and professional medicine faced considerable obstacles, her achievement represented an important milestone.
For Kazi, medicine was never simply a means of earning a living. She viewed it as a vocation through which she could alleviate suffering and serve people in need. Guided by this belief, she began her professional career at Mahatma Gandhi’s service ashram before working at several hospitals in India in the years preceding Partition in 1947.
Following Partition, she moved to East Bengal, which later became East Pakistan and subsequently Bangladesh. She later married Rajuddin Bhuiyan, a member of a zamindar family from Hatirdia in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi, who also served as a parliamentarian.
In 1948, Kazi joined Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, beginning a significant chapter in her medical career. At the time, women’s access to specialised healthcare was constrained by limited facilities and prevailing social attitudes. Many pregnant women and expectant mothers were uncomfortable consulting male physicians, while the availability of dedicated gynaecological and obstetric services remained inadequate.
These circumstances often made it difficult for women to obtain timely medical attention. Pregnancy-related complications and childbirth carried serious risks, particularly when appropriate care was inaccessible. Kazi recognised that improving women’s health required not only skilled doctors but also medical institutions that could respond to women’s specific needs.
Through her dedication and professional efforts, she helped advance the establishment of gynaecology and obstetrics services at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital and subsequently at Mitford Hospital. These initiatives contributed to the development of specialised healthcare for women and helped broaden access to treatment for gynaecological conditions and pregnancy-related complications.
Her contribution was significant because it addressed a problem extending beyond individual patients. Access to appropriate maternal and reproductive healthcare depends on trained professionals, suitable medical facilities and a system that encourages women to seek treatment without unnecessary barriers. Kazi’s work helped bring these needs into sharper focus within the region’s developing medical system.
Determined to expand her expertise, she travelled to England in 1955 on a government scholarship for advanced medical training. During her stay, she received further professional training and obtained several higher qualifications, including DRCOG, FCPS, FRCOG and MRCOG, according to accounts of her career.
After returning to the region, she served as a professor and head of department at Dhaka Medical College. She also worked as a senior consultant at Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital and the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
Her professional responsibilities extended beyond clinical practice. As a medical educator, she contributed to the training of future doctors, helping pass on the knowledge and professional standards required for effective patient care. Her career reflected the importance of combining technical expertise with compassion, discipline and a strong sense of responsibility.
Kazi also maintained a close connection with Bengali language and culture. Although she spent considerable periods of her early life and professional career outside Bengal, she could read and write Bengali and spoke it fluently alongside Hindi, Urdu and Arabic. She is also credited with taking an active part in the Bengali Language Movement of 1952, reflecting her engagement with the linguistic and cultural aspirations of the people of East Bengal.
Her participation in the movement adds another dimension to her legacy. It demonstrates that her interests extended beyond medicine to questions of language, cultural identity and public life. Her commitment to healthcare and her engagement with the society in which she lived formed complementary parts of her public contribution.
Kazi received several honours in recognition of her service, including Tamgha-i-Pakistan, the Begum Rokeya Padak and the Ekushey Padak. These awards recognised her achievements and enduring contribution to society. Yet the lasting significance of her career lies not merely in the distinctions she received, but in the opportunities she helped create for women seeking medical treatment and those pursuing careers in healthcare.
She died on 7 November 2007, aged 95. Her death marked the end of a remarkable life dedicated to medicine, education and public service. Her contribution to women’s healthcare continues to form an important part of her historical legacy.
Kazi belonged to a generation of women who had to overcome substantial barriers to establish themselves in professional life. Through academic excellence, advanced training and sustained service, she demonstrated that women could become leaders in medicine and contribute to the development of healthcare institutions.
Her life also offers a broader lesson about the relationship between professional achievement and social responsibility. Medical progress depends not only on scientific knowledge but also on recognising the needs of patients who struggle to access appropriate care. By devoting her career to medicine and helping advance specialised services for women, Kazi contributed to a more inclusive vision of healthcare.
On the anniversary of her birth, Dr Zohra Begum Kazi deserves to be remembered as a pioneering physician whose work reached beyond the hospital and the classroom. Her determination challenged the limitations of her era, while her commitment to patient care established an example for future generations.
Her legacy lives on in the continuing importance of accessible women’s healthcare, the education of medical professionals and the principle that medicine must remain grounded in compassion and service to humanity.
