Muhammad Quamrul Islam :
As a high school student we came to know students brought out procession on 21st February, 1952 in Dhaka, erstwhile provincial capital of East Pakistan, demanding Bengali as the State Language. Police opened fire; many were killed including Salam, Rafique, Jabbar, Barkat et al. They accepted martyrdom, vindicated the right of mother language Bengali, spoken by majority in erstwhile Pakistan, created by partition of India by British into two sovereign States in August 1947. As a matter of fact, before partition of Bengal into erstwhile East Pakistan and West Bengal, Bengali and Bengal was a powerful language and state worldwide known, which we learnt from our parents, and history taught in the classes and democratic pursuits in campus.
Last 13th February, 2017 evening my class mate in Comilla Zilla School, Comiilla Victoria College and SM Hall Dhaka University called me over mobile to reminisce the subject in our academic years and later on in careers from respective position. He is M. A. Malek, a former CSP and retired high official held top positions at home and abroad and his son and daughter well settled in western countries like others of his official class. When I said why remember those days of our academic institutions, which are totally absent now over the preceding decades though pointed out in the print media, but in vain and I am a lost case, he replied in his cool temper that Quamrul humility is good but not to that extent. He continued to talk different subjects for mutual exchange of views, which led me to write this column for information of new generation and coming leaders in different strata of life.
We were admitted into Comilla Victoria College in 1955 after passing Matriculation and spent two years in I.A. class amid vibrant academic atmosphere, lively lectures of our teachers which enlightened us and made us serious in studies and democratic pursuits to hold annual Students Union election called Cabinet. Pious faces of our teachers still vivid in our memory to which we pay respect to day and pray salvation of their soul. Over here we had hilarious cultural activities including wall magazines, students’ organizations to fight elections friendly and no outside interference under the guidance of teachers came out of the College successfully, regularly. We observed 21st February with high spirit which has been painfully lost in post Independence 1971. While in 1980s we tried to help and revive that culture by forming ‘Old Victorians’ (ex-students of Comilla Victoria College) by our contributions with no ulterior motive we failed in no time by partisan activities of few ambitious amongst us and made the association a lame duck!
After passing out of College happily with academic and moral commitments infused by our teachers, we were admitted in S.M. Hall Dhaka University as resident students of B. A. (Honours in Economics) and subsidiary subjects of respective choice in 1957. We stayed four years, resided together in academic excellence and democratic culture completed our studies and got Honours and Master in respective subject in 1961. These interactions enriched our mindset according to our interests in different matters. We had regular annual Hall union -Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) election/ Cabinet participated by students organizations in democratic mannerism and observance of 21st February.
There was no outside interference and respected Provost and House Tutor guided us assimilate democratic culture for shouldering future responsibilities. Every year in the morning of 21st February we went in procession with due solemnity from S M Hall to the graves of martyrs at Azimpur graveyard, paid homage and sought divine blessings. From all Halls students poured in, returned to respective Hall for breakfast and then converged at Central Shahid Minar to take out procession in the streets. Full throated slogans were raised on various issues for socio-economic emancipation of people and few in low voice demanded Bengali State in erstwhile East Pakistan in the line of Greater Bengal demand 1946 till the last moment of partition. The programmes spread in the evening with cultural function in the Campus.
True neighbouring Bengalis in Indian states extended help impromptu to those crossed the borders reported in media after Yahya- Bhutto junta committed crimes against humanity violating national electorate verdict, arrested and imprisoned the majority party leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This was so till Delhi stepped in under the pressure of huge influx of refugees and circumstances in the context of cold war and Sino-Soviet rivalry, which opened up gates for opportunists in those camps to seek shelters abroad. They seized international sympathy and help, which resulted in new phenomenon NGOs in Bangladesh. Of course people did not want Delhi hegemony in place of Islamabad but sought help of the neighbours naturally for which all are grateful for response.
We upheld the spirit of Language Movement after joining the service, which led to Bengali nationalism and Independence 1971. We were 30 years old then and looked for Sonar Bangla as envisioned in our National Anthem and exploitation corruption free society by sacrifices of the millions. It is far away. Campus took different look after the emergence of sovereign Bangladesh comprising territories of erstwhile East Pakistan on return of the inmates from Indian relief camps. Those who took monthly subscription as full timers in politics forgot on return from camps and ran for pelf and power. University teachers’ partisan politics, students became fronts of political party; campus violence and session jam are prevailing to which no notice is taken by the Parliament and Government. Even the Supreme Court verdict that MPs cannot hold the position of chairman of educational institutions is yet to be implemented. Let us be true to the sacrifices of the martyrs and International Mother Language Day.
(The writer is an economist, advocate and social activist)
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