Muhammad Quamrul Islam :
We are of the generation of early 1940s who were imbued with the spirit of mother language movement at the junior level of our School naturally, when we heard from classmates and seniors about Police firing in Dhaka on students and common people, who accepted martyrdom demanding Bengali as state language on Februay21, 1952. We came out of the class, joined in procession and paraded roads of the town raising full throated slogans ‘blood of martyrs will not go in vain’ and demanded Bengali as a state language. When we came back to School joined classes, no reprimand and returned to residence as usual. Our parents were happy to know, approved our activities, which were very encouraging and left an imprint in our mindset. From then in every year it was observed as ‘Shahid Dibos’ Martyrs Day on 21st February in all educational institutions of the country with due solemnity, holding literary and cultural functions in respective premises under the guidance of the teachers. Shahid Minars were raised to assemble there on the day, place floral wreaths and take out procession and return, ventilating renewed pledges progressively. Students of every institution chalked out programme and observed which was attended by all.
In our school life to passing Matriculation Examination in 1955 we observed 21st February which are still vivid in our memory. As my father Advocate Muezzul Islam opted to erstwhile East Pakistan that included our home town Comilla and returned from Kolkata in West Bengal on partition 1947, he was posted as Lawyer Magistrate at Kishoregonj, Gopalgonj and Barisal till he resumed practice in Comilla Bar in 1954. It enabled me as a student at Gopalgonj SM Model High School and Barisal Zilla School to participate in Shahid Day, commensurate with class room studies so earnestly imparted by our teachers. Our all respects to venerable teachers who spared no efforts to enlighten us. The friendship with classmates and seniors knew no bounds, which was agog with extra curricular activities, sports and cultural functions.
At Comilla Victoria College 1955-57 our Professors told us at very beginning of class you are no longer School boy but adult, free and responsible, future citizens and leaders of the country, for which you will have to equip with knowledge, fix your ambition of life and pursue it sincerely. Prof. Bhibhu Ranjan Guha (Logic), Prof. Shudir Sen and Ali Newaz (Bengali), Prof. Abdul Momen (Islamic History- Modern world), Prof Jotsnamoy Bose and Ajit Nandi(English), Prof. Fazlul Karim and Shamsul Abedin (Civics) appear in our mind with their lectures ring in our ears. Principal Akhter Hamid Khan kept the academic atmosphere, maintained discipline and once said, a teacher who needed police to control students should not be in teaching profession.
Under their benign enlightened guidance we were involved in democratic pursuits held College Union elections annually, cultural functions to celebrate different occasions and exuberance to observe 21st February by processions on main roads notwithstanding fears of police actions, literary groups of students issued special wall papers at wide College gate and hand written magazines, some of whom became reputed writers in later life in both sides of Bengal. This was the scenario spread throughout this country. After 64 years it is found the succeeding generations of teachers and students hardly know this vibrant academic culture, dedicated teachers and their way of life to follow.
We were admitted to SMHall Dhaka University 1957-61 under the control of Provost. Different residential Halls pursued academic and cultural pursuits in the same zeal. Hall unions and Dhaka University Central Students Union election were held annually. Hall cabinets and DUCSU along with Students organizations observed 21st February by early morning processions to Azimpur graveyard, offered Fateha and flowers to martyrs laid, converged at Central Shahid Minar paid respects, paraded the main streets to Bahadur Shah Park braving Police and held cultural programmes in the evening in respective Hall auditorium and Curzon Hall.
In this step forward every year we became aware to uphold rights of people ingrained in this democratic and nationalistic movement to vindicate mother tongue Bengali along with. This generated good feelings among Bengali speaking people to unity, who were known for divisiveness, by British Policy of divide and rule though. Some Hall mates taking points of history in 1905, 1911 dividing Bengal and annulment, then partition of India 1947 by British ignoring Greater Bengal demand, felt cultural and geographical imperatives, talked about independent Bengal in erstwhile East Pakistan, to start with. How far it was practicable was not our concern at that young age, but it was the urge, which with the passage of time became reality in 1971. Our batch mates Kazi Zafar Ahmed, A Z M Enayetullah Khan and Bazlur Rahman joined politics and journalism after passing out of the University, while others in different professions kept up contacts as warm as it was to reach the goals of regional autonomy and emancipation of people. Intriguingly many who were not political minded held critical positions in Politics and Government in Bangladesh by turn. As a consequence political parties did not remain in the traditional track, rather splintered for selfish aggrandizements, left and right alike.
The development of Bengali Language and culture were noticeable due to movement establishing Bangla Academy, central Bangla development Board, recognition of Bengali as a state language, and various voluntary initiatives in campus and outside in the years following 1952 led to Lberation War and establishment of sovereign Bangladesh in the territories comprising erstwhile East Pakistan.
We have passed 44 years since Independence, charged government exchequer to celebrate 21st and maintained institutions, with what effect is the point to ponder, and frustrations of credible persons carried by national vernacular dailies during this language month of 2016 may be referred to. Let the Ministry of Culture take notice of it and make a comparative study of 64 years to do the needful.
What is encouraging is the declaration of International Mother Language Day on 21st February by UN, observed from 2000, which was based on the initiative taken by Bangladeshi expatriates in Canada Rafiqul Islam and others. A voluntary local initiative led to Boi Mela (Book Fair) in the premises of Bangla Academy. Let it be a supplement to reviving the observance of 21st February in all campus throughout the country, which can only provide resource persons/ leaders to develop the language and status of the country.
(The writer is an Economist and Sociopolitical activist. E-mail: [email protected])
