I met one Alauddin in my service life in Munshiganj who was a renowned Head Master and was a student of Karatia Collage in the decade of forty. He was meritorious and passed Matric and I. A in the first division. While he was a student of degree class, it was a crisis period. His lodging master had requested him to go to his house and come at the time of paddy harvesting. They required one day labour to work in their agriculture field. Alauddin went to their field and said, “I am son of a cultivator and I know all works,” Saying so he worked with them in the field for a few days and at the same time continued his studies. It was the inspiration of Principal Ibrahim Khan which helped them to complete studies through such struggles.
Ibrahim Khan loved the students as own sons. He never felt disturbed or bored in their demand. Rather he tried to satisfy them. How broad minded he was may be realised from the fact which I am trying to express in the language of Ibrahim Khan. ” …. .Admission of students was going on in the college. One student had come from Mymensingh. He was very simple and was admitted in college. He asked me “Sir, where shall I stay?” I advised him to stay in the boarding house. At 10pm he knocked at my door and said, “Sir, I have not brought pillow from my house, how shall I sleep?” I handed over my pillow to him and he went away gladly.
On pillow cover my name ‘Ibrahim Khan’ was written. Seeing that name students began to call him ‘Student of pillow. Gradually he was known to all students of the college as ‘Student of pillow.’ Time passed and he left Karatia after graduation.
15 years passed in the meantime. I was walking on a footpath of Karachi city. A gentleman seemed to be a high level officer saw me from distance. He proceeded to me hurriedly, sat before me and extended his hand to touch my leg. I asked him, “Hallo! Who are you?” He said in a choked voice, “Sir, let me touch your leg, I am the student of your pillow.”
Ibrahim Khan was an educationist, litterateur and politician. He had written so many books. Some are: Batayon, Alu Bokhara, Istambul Jatrir Potro, children’s Shahnama, ‘Bichitra, Mohiyosi Nari; and Bou Begum.
The great educationist and litterateur Principal Ibrahim Khan breathed his last on the 29th March 1978 and was buried at Bhuapur College compound. He will remain alive in the heart of the people and respected for his activities. n
(The author is a retired AGM of Janata Bank and Life
Member, Bangla Academy)
