Suhrawardy Avenue Controversy: KMC has renamed Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road. Historians clarify that the avenue was named after Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy, not Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation renames Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road; scholars say the avenue commemorated Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy, not Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.
Qalam Times News Network
Kolkata | June 21, 2026
KOLKATA: The Suhrawardy Avenue Controversy has once again entered public discussion after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officially announced that the road known as Suhrawardy Avenue would henceforth be renamed Gopal Mukherjee Road. The decision was communicated through an official notification issued by the Office of the Administrator and Municipal Commissioner on June 20, 2026.
The notification states that “the road known as Suhrawardy Avenue in KMC area will be named and henceforth be known as Gopal Mukherjee Road.” The move has been welcomed by several political leaders, social organizations and citizens, who have described it as a fitting tribute to Gopal Mukherjee’s place in Bengal’s social and political history.
However, the Suhrawardy Avenue Controversy has also revived a long-running debate regarding the identity of the person after whom the road was originally named. For years, several right-wing organizations and commentators have claimed that the avenue was named after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, the last Premier of undivided Bengal, whom they hold responsible for the communal violence that erupted in Calcutta in August 1946. Based on that belief, repeated demands had been made for the road’s renaming.
A Historic Road in the Heart of Kolkata
Located in the south-central part of Kolkata, Suhrawardy Avenue is a major thoroughfare linking the Park Circus area with A.J.C. Bose Road and the adjoining Maidan precinct. Over the decades, it has emerged as one of the city’s most recognizable arterial roads, serving as an important connector between several key neighbourhoods and landmarks.
The avenue occupies a prominent place in Kolkata’s sporting, cultural and civic life, passing through an area closely associated with historic institutions, recreational grounds and public events. Following the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s notification issued on June 20, 2026, this well-known stretch of road will officially be renamed Gopal Mukherjee Road, marking the end of a chapter in the city’s urban history.
Historians Say the Road Was Not Named After Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Researchers and historians familiar with Kolkata’s urban history argue that the central assumption behind the renaming campaign was based on a historical misunderstanding.
According to documented records, the avenue was not named after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. Instead, it commemorated Lieutenant-Colonel Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy (1884–1946), a distinguished Bengali surgeon, military officer, diplomat, scholar, art critic and public servant.
Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy was among the most respected Bengali intellectuals of his era. He served in the British Indian Army, achieved distinction in medicine and public administration, and played an important role in cultural and educational affairs. He also served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the East London Mosque and held several prestigious public offices during his lifetime.
Who Was Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy?
Born in Dhaka into the renowned Suhrawardy family, Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy was the son of the noted educationist Ubaidullah Al Ubaidi Suhrawardy. His contributions extended far beyond medicine into the fields of scholarship, administration and culture.
Knighted by the British Government in 1932, Hassan later renounced his British honours shortly before his death in September 1946. He remained widely respected for his contributions to public life, intellectual discourse and civic administration.
Historical records further show that Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy was the maternal uncle of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. The two men belonged to the same distinguished family but followed entirely different professional and public careers.
How the Confusion Began
The controversy gained widespread attention in 2017 when a right-wing publication carried an article claiming that Kolkata had honoured the “Butcher of Bengal” by naming a major road after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. The article was extensively circulated on social media and reignited demands for the removal of the Suhrawardy name from the city map.
Subsequent examinations by historians, researchers and chroniclers of Kolkata’s urban history, however, pointed out that the claim rested on a mistaken identification. Available historical evidence indicated that the avenue was named after Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy and not after his nephew Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.
Despite these clarifications, the misconception continued to circulate in political discourse and public debates.
Renaming Welcomed, But Historians Call for Accuracy
The KMC’s decision to rename Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road has been welcomed by many supporters of the move, who regard it as a recognition of Gopal Mukherjee’s contribution to Bengal’s history.
At the same time, historians and researchers have emphasized that discussions surrounding the renaming should remain rooted in verifiable historical facts. They argue that citizens are entitled to support or oppose the renaming, but public debate should begin with an accurate understanding of the identity of the person originally commemorated by the avenue.
According to scholars, the historical record clearly indicates that the avenue honoured Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy—a renowned surgeon, scholar, diplomat and public servant—and not Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, whose name has frequently appeared in political controversies related to Partition-era Bengal.
While the June 20, 2026 notification may have settled the question of the road’s future name, it has simultaneously reopened a broader conversation about historical memory, public monuments and the importance of distinguishing between political narratives and documented historical evidence.
