Beginning a long association with the Indian National Congress in the 1930s, Ahmed was finance minister of Assam in the Gopinath Bordoloi ministry in 1939.

As president, Ahmed imposed The Emergency in August 1975 and gave his assent to numerous ordinances and constitutional amendments that severely restricted civil liberties and allowed Indira Gandhi to rule by decree.

[4][7] In 2018 it emerged that several of Ahmed's relatives were left out of the National Register of Citizens for Assam as they could not produce documents to prove their antecedents.

[13][14] He returned to India the same year and practiced law at the Lahore High Court before moving to Guwahati in 1930 where he worked initially as a junior lawyer under Nabin Chandra Bardoloi.

[15][16] At Guwahati, Ahmed, who later became the Advocate General for the state, was the founding president of the Bar Association of the Assam High Court after its formation in 1948.

[28] After the launch of the Quit India Movement, Ahmed was arrested on 9 August 1942, along with several other leaders of the Assam Provincial Congress Committee.

[32] However, in the elections of 1946, while the Congress won the majority of seats to form a government in Assam under Gopinath Bordoloi, Ahmed was defeated in the North Kamrup constituency by the Muslim League's Moulvi Abdul Hye.

[40][41][33] Ahmed facilitated the entry of Muhammed Saadulah, the Muslim League leader who preceded Gopinath Bordoloi as Assam's Prime Minister, into the Congress Party in 1951.

[33][42] Ahmed played a role in frustrating Chief Minister Chaliha's attempts at enforcing the Prevention of Infiltrators Plan which, based on the National Register of Citizens, 1951, sought to identify and deport illegal migrants to Assam.

[84][85][86] Ahmed imposed a national emergency under Article 352 of India's Constitution late in the night of 25 June 1975 on the advice of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

– was dubious, as there were no reports to that effect from the Intelligence Bureau, the Home Ministry or from any or the governors of the states, nor had the proposal been considered by the Union Council of Ministers.

Although the constitutional impropriety was pointed out to him, Ahmed raised no questions and chose to sign the order imposing the emergency, a draft of which was brought to him by the Prime Minister's personal secretary, R. K.

[b][88][89][90] In the early hours of the next day, electricity supply was cut off to newspaper offices in Delhi and the main leaders of opposition parties placed under arrest.

"[93][94] The Emergency, which lasted until 21 March 1977, saw the suppression of civil liberties, the arrest of opposition politicians and clampdown on political parties, the suspension of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution and the muzzling of the media.

[102][103][104] Ordinances issued in 1975 included one abolishing bonded labour,[105][106] the Equal Remuneration Ordinance which provided for equal pay for equal work or work of similar nature,[107] the amendment to the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 allowing detention of offenders for a period of two years,[108] and an amendment to the Import and Export (Controls) Act increasing the severity of penalties for offences relating to the misuse of import licences and imported goods among scores of other ordinances issued during the year.

[112] In January 1976, President's rule was declared in Tamil Nadu after Ahmed dismissed its government, headed by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, and dissolved the state's legislative assembly.

The bill, passed by both houses of Parliament in November, amended as many as 59 articles of the Constitution and the Preamble, besides introducing a new section containing the Fundamental Duties of citizens.

In his address to the nation on Independence Day, 1975 he assured citizens that the Emergency was a "passing phase" and its imposition was necessary to save India from chaos and disruption.

[122] On the Independence Day in 1976, he stated that the Emergency would not be used to switch over from the parliamentary to a presidential system of government or to accumulate more power than was permitted under the Constitution and that it had been issued instead "to bring about such economic, social and political changes as have become relevant and necessary in the interests of the people of India".

The cable noted Ahmed's growing concern that Indira and Sanjay Gandhi were "pushing too hard on the political and Constitutional system of India" and reported that he had rebuffed her suggestion to replace the vice-president, B.D.

[124] Indira Gandhi's proposal to replace her entire cabinet with younger ministers was also cautioned against by Ahmed, who warned her that this would jeopardize the unity of the Congress Party.

[132][133][134] The cartoon irreparably damaged Ahmed's image and legacy, and he is widely regarded as a rubber stamp President, who was willing to sign ordinances and the proclamation of Emergency put to him without questioning the government or asking it to be reconsidered.

[138][139][140] President Ahmed made state visits to Indonesia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Sudan, Iran and Malaysia during his term in office.

He had been forced to curtail his official engagements in Malaysia due to ill health and was reportedly too weak to attend a guard of honour arranged for him at the Kuala Lumpur airport.

[153][11] In the morning of 11 February, Ahmed, who had previously suffered heart attacks in 1966 and 1970 and whose health was described as being uncertain, was found lying unconscious in his bath in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

[158] Ahmed's body lay in state in the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan where common citizens, politicians, ministers and constitutional functionaries from various parties paid their respects to him.

[171][172] The tomb is open to the sky and features thin framed marble jalis which are clamped with the help of internal pins onto structural elements made of steel.

[175] Its openness makes it an "austere" and "elegant" building and one of Delhi's most remarkable pieces of modern architectural heritage, in the view of some critics.

[178] Begum is credited with having overhauled the presidential kitchen and ensuring Awadhi cuisine was included in its repertoire, as well as redecorating the rooms and upholstery of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

[182] The elder of their sons, Parvez Ahmed, is a doctor who contested the General Elections of 2014 from Barpeta as a candidate of the Trinamool Congress party.