James Leo Ferguson

2021-07-02T17:54:12Z

223.179.247.79:

{{short description|Bangladeshi freedom fighter, politician and tea industrialist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = James Leo Ferguson
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| native_name = জেমস লিও ফার্গুসন
| native_name_lang = bn
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| birth_place = [[Kanaighat]], [[Sylhet]], Bangladesh
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| nationality = [[Bangladeshis|Bangladeshi]]<br/>British
| other_names = Nanka
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| education =
| alma_mater = [[Army Burn Hall College]]<br/>[[Cumilla Cadet College]]
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Politician
* [[Tea production in Bangladesh#Industry|Tea industrialist]]
* [[Mukti Bahini|Freedom fighter]]
}}
| years_active = 1976–present
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| party = [[Bangladesh Awami League]]
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| website = {{URL|lakshiprashadpurboup.sylhet.gov.bd/}}
| module = {{Infobox officeholder| embed = yes
| order =
| office = Chairman of [[Kanaighat Upazila|Lakshmiprasad Union]]
| status = 
| term_start = 1976
| term_end = 1993
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| | allegiance = {{Flag|Bangladesh}}
| branch =
[[Mukti Bahini]]
| battles = [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]
}}
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'''James Leo Ferguson''' ({{lang-bn|জেমস লিও ফার্গুসন}}), commonly known by the nickname '''Nanka''', is a Bangladeshi politician, tea industrialist, and freedom fighter.<ref name=Honour>{{Cite news |url=https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%96%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A3%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%A3-%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A7-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%87 |script-title=bn:সুখী দেশের জন্য প্রাণপণ যুদ্ধ করতে হবে |date=17 December 2016 |work=Prothom Alo |language=bn |access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref> He is the owner of Lobhachhara Tea Estate.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://northamerica.prothomalo.com/usa/%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%87 |script-title=bn:রূপকথার রাজ্যে |trans-title=In the realm of fairy tales |last=Fahmida |first=Luma |date=2 November 2018 |work=Prothom Alo |language=bn |access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref> Ferguson was elected as a people's representative after the liberation of Bangladesh. From 1976 to 1993, for a stretch of 17 years, he was the chairman of Lakshmiprasad Union, [[Kanaighat Upazila|Kanaighat]], [[Sylhet District|Sylhet]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sylhettoday24.news/news/details/Sylhet/20413 |script-title=bn:কানাইঘাটে চেয়ারম্যান প্রার্থী স্কটিশ বংশোদ্ভূত লিও ফারগুসন নানকা |trans-title=The chairman candidate in Kanaighat is Leo Ferguson Nanka of Scottish descent |last=Liton |first=Debabrata Chowdhury |date=22 April 2016 |website=SylhetToday24 |language=bn |access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref>

==Background==
Ferguson was born in [[Kanaighat Upazila|Kanaighat]], Sylhet. He is an [[Anglo-Indian]]. His forefathers were from [[Scotland]]. His great grandfather Donald Ferguson had fought in [[World War I]]. His grandfather James Arthur Ferguson joined the [[British army]] too and took part in [[World War II]]. After the Second World War, Arthur Ferguson retired from the army and took up a job at the India Isabella Tea Estate. Leo Ferguson's mother June Ferguson became the manager of the Lobhachhara tea garden. She was the first female tea garden manager in the [[Indian subcontinent]] at that time. Later they bought the tea garden.<ref name= Battle>{{Cite news |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/%E2%80%98I-fought-for-this-land%E2%80%99 |title='I fought for this land' |last=Mehedi |first=Ujjwal |date=11 December 2016 |work=Prothom Alo |access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref>

==Education==
Ferguson studied at [[Cumilla Cadet College]] and graduated in 1971. At the end of April that year, he ran away from [[Cumilla]] and came to [[Sylhet]].

==Participation in the Liberation War==
[[Image:Sectors of Bangladesh Liberation War.svg|thumb|240px|Map showing Bangladesh Liberation War Sectors]]
After returning to Lobhachhara, Ferguson crossed over into India taking his mother's permission. He underwent military training and joined [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref name= Battle/> Perhaps the soldier's blood that ran in his veins prompted him to join the liberation war. According to him, {{quote|I was born in this land. I fought for this land. My mother inspired me. I fought from August under [[List of sectors in the Bangladesh Liberation War|sub-sector 5]]. I was a Scotsman and my comrades loved me. They were inspired by the war experiences of my forefathers.<ref name= Battle/>}}

==Personal life==
In 1982, Leo married a khasi women named Quinla. They have two sons. His wife and sons live in London, UK. As a people's representative, he lives in [[Kanaighat]]. But they travel back and forth. Ferguson celebrates [[Victory day of Bangladesh]] quietly at his tea garden.<ref name= Battle/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, James}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Awami League politicians]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi politicians]]
[[Category:People from Kanaighat Upazila]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi people of British descent]]

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James Leo Ferguson