Written by Fairuj Fariha
Let me introduce you to Bangladesh’s first female doctor, an exceptionally brilliant professor, Prof. Dr. Zohra Begum Kazi, who was:
- MBBS (1st Class 1st) Gold Medalist
- DRCOG (UK), MRCOG (UK), FRCOG (UK)
- FCPS (Gynae & Obs)
- Founder and Head of the Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics at Dhaka Medical College and SSMC Mitford Hospital
Dr. Zohra Begum Kazi was the visionary behind the “Obstetrics and Gynaecology” department at Dhaka Medical College. Google even released a special doodle to honour her, the first female doctor of independent Bangladesh!
Zohra Begum Kazi was born on October 15, 1912, in a cultured and educated family in Madhya Pradesh, undivided India. Her ancestral home was in Madaripur district. Her father was a doctor, and due to the family’s support, she was able to progress successfully in various aspects of life. Despite the tough social context, she excelled in her studies and was skilled in cycling, table tennis, and badminton. Besides Bengali, she was fluent in reading, writing, and speaking Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, and English.
In 1935, Zohra Begum Kazi was admitted to Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi, where she secured the first position in Medicine and Surgery, earning first-class honours. She was awarded the Viceroy’s Medal in recognition of her success in the MBBS examination. She then entered the workforce and served as an assistant surgeon in various hospitals across India for 13 years. She even provided voluntary medical services at an ashram founded by Mahatma Gandhi.
After the partition of the country in 1947, she returned to East Pakistan and joined Dhaka Medical College Hospital. At that time, there was no department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology for women at Dhaka Medical College, so Dr. Zohra Begum Kazi took the initiative to establish this department. She also started the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department at Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital.
In 1955, she earned the DRCOG, MRCOG, and FRCOG degrees from England and the FCPS degree from Pakistan. Upon returning to Bangladesh, she served as the head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Dhaka Medical College. During her career, she also worked as an honorary colonel at the Combined Military Hospital and as a consultant at Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital after her retirement. She also served as a professor at Bangladesh Medical College.
Zohra Begum Kazi received numerous honours, including the Tamgha-i-Pakistan (1964), Begum Rokeya Padak (2002), and the Ekushey Padak (2008). On her 108th birthday, October 15, 2020, Google paid tribute to her with a special doodle. This remarkable woman passed away on November 7, 2007, at the age of 95.
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 