Heroes of Language Movement in Chandpur still denied recognition

Even though 64 years have passed since the Language Movement of 1952, many heroes of the movement from Chandpur still remain unsung and unknown.
They did not get any reception, either from the government or from any private organisation. Their sons and daughters rue the treatment accorded to their valiant fathers. However, they feel proud of their fathers’ sacrifices for the recognition of Bangla as the national language.
There is a number of Language Movement heroes who hail from Chandpur (then a subdivision under Comilla district). Most of them worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the top movement leaders on the streets of Dhaka in those turbulent days to establish Bangla as the state language.
The veterans of the movement who hail from Chandpur are the late MA Wadud (father of ex-foreign minister Alhaj Dr Dipu Moni, now MP from Chandpur-Haimchar), philanthropist of Chandpur Sadar Alhaj Dr MA Ghafur, then a student of MBBS, Dhaka Medical College, BM Kalimullah, a student of Law, DU (from Hajigonj) and Abdur Rab, also a student of Jagannath College (ex-AL MP from Hajigonj).
They all took part in the movement in Dhaka in February 1952. In Chandpur, those who worked actively but secretly to avoid arrests by Pakistan police are the late Advocate Sheikh Matiur Rahman, the late AFM Fazlul Hoque (a close friend and classmate of Bangabandhu in Kolkata), Abul Kashem Chowdhury Tunu (a close relative of former prime minister, the late Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury), Dr Mujibur Rahman (elder brother of Mizan Chowdhury), Rafiuddin Ahmad (Shona Akhand), a young merchant of Puran Bazar, Chandpur, Dr AB Khan (a homeopathy doctor of Kumardughi village under Chandpur Sadar), the late Harunor Rashid Khan (Safarmali, Chandpur, later JP MP), Abdul Karim Patwary (AL activist and ex-MCA, Chandpur), Shah Amanullah Manik (later journalist, The New Nation), Amena Begum (briefly a Mohila MP from Faridganj), Waliullah Naojoan B.Sc., Sujat Ali Munshi (Hajiganj), the late Dr Abdus Satter (Hajigonj), the late Sheikh Mojaffar Ali (Chandpur), the late Mollah Siddiqur Rahman (Rarirchar, Chandpur Sadar), Abul Kalam Azad (Mohamaya, Chandpur), the late Humayun Kabir, ex-upazila chairman, Chandpur Sadar and son of the late Shahid Ibrahim BT Sir (Safarmali, Chandpur Sadar).
On coming out of jail on February 26, 1952, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) leader BM Kalimullah, along with Abdur Rab (a Chhatra League leader of Jagannath College), attended a meeting “very secretly” at Ahmadia Hostel (now Government Mohila College Hostel) where they (Kalimullah along with Abdur Rab) showed “the blood-splattered shirt of Bhasha Shahid Abdus Salam to all present and that triggered the movement for Bhasha Andolon in Chandpur and its adjacent areas”.
At that meeting, Abdur Rab (later AL MP from Hajigonj) was made convener of the Bangla Bhasha Bastabayon Sangram Parishad (Chandpur unit) while Mollah Siddiqur Rahman was made general secretary and Sk Motiur Rahman (later advocate and BNP leader) was made joint secretary of the Sangram Parishad. “They are all soldiers of Ekushey Bhasha Andolon,” Sk Motiur Rahman had said while lying on his death-bed about two years ago.
In an exclusive interview with this correspondent at his Hajigonj residence on February 19, BM Kalimullah, 88, recalled his experience as a student of Law at DU and also as a CPB leader. He said he had come out on the streets and joined the leaders—namely, Abdul Matin (then known as Bhasha Matin), Gaziul Hoque, Toha, Kazi Mahbubul, Abdul Khaleque, Khandaker Mostaque Ahmed, Md Alauddin, Anwar Jahid, Golam Azam and many others on the afternoon of February 21 by violating Section 144 at the present Central Shahid Minar. “We pelted stones at the police deployed there,” recalled Kalimullah. “At one stage, the police opened fire and the bullet pierced Salam’s stomach; I took him immediately to the DMCH, where he later died,” he reminisced.
On February 22, 1952, he—along with many others—was arrested from near Sadarghat area and sent to Dhaka jail (now Dhaka Central Jail) for three days. Then Sheikh Mujib was also put into jail while Maulana Bhasani gave them inspiration for the movement. Kalimullah said: “The spirit of 1952’s Language Movement lies in the birth of Bangladesh.” He, however, added: “Our mother tongue Bangla needs to be made very simple in spelling to create interest among our future generations.”
Another valiant soldier of Bhasha Andolon is Alhaj Dr M.A. Ghafur, 88, a philanthropist of Chandpur, who donated a large plot of land worth a few crores of takas to the district unit of Bangladesh Diabetic Samity in Chandpur. He was then an MBBS student of DMCH.

 

Heroes of Language Movement in Chandpur still denied recognition

Even though 64 years have passed since the Language Movement of 1952, many heroes of the movement from Chandpur still remain unsung and unknown. They did not get any reception, either from the government or from any private organisation. Their sons and daughters rue the treatment accorded to their valiant fathers. However, they feel proud of their fathers sacrifices for the recognition of Bangla as the national language. There is a number of Language Movement heroes who hail from Chandpur (then a subdivision under Comilla district). Most of them worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the top movement leaders on the streets of Dhaka in those turbulent days to establish Bangla as the state language. The veterans of the movement who hail from Chandpur are the late MA Wadud (father of ex-foreign minister Alhaj Dr Dipu Moni, now MP from Chandpur-Haimchar), philanthropist of Chandpur Sadar Alhaj Dr MA Ghafur, then a student of MBBS, Dhaka Medical College, BM Kalimullah, a student of Law, DU (from Hajigonj) and Abdur Rab, also a student of Jagannath College (ex-AL MP from Hajigonj). They all took part in the movement in Dhaka in February 1952. In Chandpur, those who worked actively but secretly to avoid arrests by Pakistan police are the late Advocate Sheikh Matiur Rahman, the late AFM Fazlul Hoque (a close friend and classmate of Bangabandhu in Kolkata), Abul Kashem Chowdhury Tunu (a close relative of former prime minister, the late Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury), Dr Mujibur Rahman (elder brother of Mizan Chowdhury), Rafiuddin Ahmad (Shona Akhand), a young merchant of Puran Bazar, Chandpur, Dr AB Khan (a homeopathy doctor of Kumardughi village under Chandpur Sadar), the late Harunor Rashid Khan (Safarmali, Chandpur, later JP MP), Abdul Karim Patwary (AL activist and ex-MCA, Chandpur), Shah Amanullah Manik (later journalist, The New Nation), Amena Begum (briefly a Mohila MP from Faridganj), Waliullah Naojoan B.Sc., Sujat Ali Munshi (Hajiganj), the late Dr Abdus Satter (Hajigonj), the late Sheikh Mojaffar Ali (Chandpur), the late Mollah Siddiqur Rahman (Rarirchar, Chandpur Sadar), Abul Kalam Azad (Mohamaya, Chandpur), the late Humayun Kabir, ex-upazila chairman, Chandpur Sadar and son of the late Shahid Ibrahim BT Sir (Safarmali, Chandpur Sadar). On coming out of jail on February 26, 1952, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) leader BM Kalimullah, along with Abdur Rab (a Chhatra League leader of Jagannath College), attended a meeting very secretly at Ahmadia Hostel (now Government Mohila College Hostel) where they (Kalimullah along with Abdur Rab) showed the blood-splattered shirt of Bhasha Shahid Abdus Salam to all present and that triggered the movement for Bhasha Andolon in Chandpur and its adjacent areas. At that meeting, Abdur Rab (later AL MP from Hajigonj) was made convener of the Bangla Bhasha Bastabayon Sangram Parishad (Chandpur unit) while Mollah Siddiqur Rahman was made general secretary and Sk Motiur Rahman (later advocate and BNP leader) was made joint secretary of the Sangram Parishad. They are all soldiers of Ekushey Bhasha Andolon, Sk Motiur Rahman had said while lying on his death-bed about two years ago. In an exclusive interview with this correspondent at his Hajigonj residence on February 19, BM Kalimullah, 88, recalled his experience as a student of Law at DU and also as a CPB leader. He said he had come out on the streets and joined the leadersnamely, Abdul Matin (then known as Bhasha Matin), Gaziul Hoque, Toha, Kazi Mahbubul, Abdul Khaleque, Khandaker Mostaque Ahmed, Md Alauddin, Anwar Jahid, Golam Azam and many others on the afternoon of February 21 by violating Section 144 at the present Central Shahid Minar. We pelted stones at the police deployed there, recalled Kalimullah. At one stage, the police opened fire and the bullet pierced Salams stomach; I took him immediately to the DMCH, where he later died, he reminisced. On February 22, 1952, healong with many otherswas arrested from near Sadarghat area and sent to Dhaka jail (now Dhaka Central Jail) for three days. Then Sheikh Mujib was also put into jail while Maulana Bhasani gave them inspiration for the movement. Kalimullah said: The spirit of 1952s Language Movement lies in the birth of Bangladesh. He, however, added: Our mother tongue Bangla needs to be made very simple in spelling to create interest among our future generations. Another valiant soldier of Bhasha Andolon is Alhaj Dr M.A. Ghafur, 88, a philanthropist of Chandpur, who donated a large plot of land worth a few crores of takas to the district unit of Bangladesh Diabetic Samity in Chandpur. He was then an MBBS student of DMCH.