UNB, Dhaka :
Recalling the contributions of Dr. Aleem Al-Razee, president of Bangla Academy Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman on Saturday said Dr. Razee, a lawyer by profession, rose to prominence not only for his skill in advocacy but also as a human rights lawyer for the victims of injustice and oppression.
“Razee was a powerful voice of dissent against authoritarianism, autocracy and military dictatorship, and was committed to upholding national interests whenever they were in danger,” he said.
Prof Anisuzzaman made these observations while unveiling the cover of a book titled ‘Dr Aleem Al-Razee Smarak Grantha’
(Commemoration Book Vol.1: Bengali) at Bangla Academy on the first day of Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
He recalled that Razee was an important defence lawyer in the high-profile Agartala conspiracy trial by Pakistan authority in which the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu was named the accused No 1.
The noted educationist further said Razee was a leading intellectual, humanist and non-conformist who promoted academic freedom. Razee also advanced the cause of education and learning as a tool of human development by founding colleges and schools.
Replying to a query, Prof Anisuzzaman said the Bangla Academy authorities extended the venue of Ekushey Book Fair to the adjacent Suhrawardi Udyan this year since they could no longer accommodate the expanding fair on the academy premises.
He stressed the writers and authors should devote their talents to stimulate creative and thought-provoking ideas among their readers in order to help build a knowledge-based society.
Convenor of Dr. Aleem Al-Razee Memorial Council and UNB chairman Amanullah Khan when asked to comment on the book mentioned that the anthology, shed light on some of Razee’s glorious achievements in diverse fields and outlined the thoughts and ideas that shaped his life.
He laid emphases on the part played by Razee as an independent member of the Pakistan National Assembly, the last during the pre-liberation period of Bangladesh when he became a symbol of resistance against domination over the Bengalis in the then East Pakistan by the then West Pakistan masters in all spheres of the national life by his unflinching stand on the issue of parity.
The facts and figures presented by Razee with convincing debates on the discrimination being meted out to the Bengalis and the exploitation that they were subjected to resonated across the assembly floor and on to the length and breadth of the country that sparked the flames of liberation and acted as a catalyst in the birth of Bangladesh, Khan concluded.
Among others, the owner of Kashban Publishers, a reputed author, one of the editors of the book, Aminul Islam and the other editor M. Johurul Islam was present on the occasion.
