Bhashani, the Maulana Bhashani, the Comrade

By Dewan Shamsul Arefin

“Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani was unique in many respects. He was a political activist who had never allowed himself any respite in his political struggle since the age of 14 till he died at 91. And unlike most political leaders of our region, he was more than a politician; he was indeed a statesman with a dream to which his commitment was unflinching. Bhashani’s interest was not in gaining power for himself or his party; he did not work for electoral success, his dream was of a social revolution. That is precisely where he travelled beyond the other political leaders we have known. We Bengalis have been fortunate in having leaders of the stature of Chittaranjan Das, Subash Chandra Bose, A. K. Fazlul Haque and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, all of whom were great and unique in their own ways; but it would be neither unfair nor an exaggeration to say that Bhashani was the greatest among the great. He was a hero, not of a tragedy, but of an epic,” (written in the foreword by professor emeritus Serajul Islam Chowdhury, Dhaka, Bangladesh, in the book Moulana Bhashani Leader of the Toiling Masses, a publication of Moulana Bhashani Foundation, New York, USA).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984572585

Dewan Shamsul Arefin

'It is not imprinted on anyone's body that he/she is a Naxalite. Giving this sort of order is a violation of democracy. Follow norms of democracy - arrest the suspect offender, put him/her on trial and if they are found guilty punish him/her with death sentence - will say anything. But shooting someone without trial will not be allowed'. said Moulana Bhashani at a 1971 public meeting at Paltan Maidan, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He also said, 'If you really want to establish democracy in the country, let grow a strong opposition party, give opportunities to them to indulge in strong criticism of the government'.

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Rev. date: 12/28/2018

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CONTENTS

Dedication & Acknowledgements

Preface

1 The Pauper Politician: Syed Abul Maksud

2 A Hero and a Guide to Humanity’s Progressive Future: David Ludden

3 The White Cloak – Shamsur Rahman’s Poem on Moulana Bhashani: Translated by A. U. M. Fakhruddin

4 Bhashani, The Moulana Bhashani, The Comrade: A Profile in Sculptured Words/Dewan S Arefin

Appendix I: Moulana Bhashani: Political Life

Appendix II: Selected Bibliography on the life and struggle of Moulana Bhashani

Appendix III: Kagmari Conference: February 7 - 8, 1957

Appendix IV: All Party Language Movement Committee

Appendix V: Moulana In Quotes

Appendix VI: Poet Shamsur Rahman’s Historical Poem

About the author

Dedication & Acknowledgements

This humble work is dedicated to my respected teacher

Professor emeritus Serajul Islam Chowdhury

whose extra-ordinarily unique, objective analysis

along with his ideas and thoughts on different socio-political

and cultural issues

expressed in dispassionate discussions and writings

were the core sources of my inspiration and courage to take up this endeavor.

I express my deepest thanks and gratitude to Syed Abul Maksud,

David Ludden and A. U. M. Fakhruddin who gracefully allowed me

to include their articles in this booklet.

Whose love and sacrifice made it possible:

My wife Nurjahan Begum Baby

son Dewan Naushad Arefin

daughter Dewan Sharmin Arefin

son-in-law Marcel Q Belfield

grandson Zain D Belfield

grand daughter Sadia N Belfield

Preface

This publication is meant to be a easy-read booklet on Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani – a booklet that could be finished just in one sitting. It has three articles contributed by eminent writers, intellectuals and researchers like Syed Abul Maksud, David Ludden, A. U. M. Fakhruddin. All of them are deeply knowledgeable on Moulana’s life, politics and philosophy. To them, Moulana was a politician with the qualities and flavor of a humanist of top order. The fourth article by this writer-editor tries to provide an overall understanding of this giant political figure. Their writings clearly show that Moulana was a down to earth, simple man. But, in public life, he in fact, was a fire-eater who uncompromisingly defended the interest and rights of the deprived and oppressed people. He was popularly known by the epithet ‘Mazloom Jananeta’ (the leader of the masses);- and was widely respected for his commitment to the cause of the downtrodden, especially the peasants and workers. However deeply sunken in piety and religiosity he was, he was staunchly against any kind of communalism and bigotry. Peter Custers, a researcher on Moulana from the Netherlands, claimed Moulana as one of the pioneers of non-communal politics in the Indian sub-continent.

There are others who maintain that Moulana was a head-to-feet political person and, in fact, held enormous political power with which he fought and unnerved the British Raj and subsequently military rulers of Pakistan. He protested equally against local landlords and elites if and when they subjected the underclass to injustice, exploitation and oppression. He did never hanker for state power for himself or the party or luxuries of life. Instead, he stayed with common people and lived a saintly life as a peasant. In politics, he engaged his struggles to maximize human rights, equity and justice in the society

Moulana was a mandarin of Bangladesh’s national politics who was the earliest proponent of an autonomous East Pakistan, later secession from Pakistan to create an independent Bangladesh. Now, while there has globally arisen a phenomenal rise of socio-political and economic problems such as reckless corruption, sky-high inequality, intolerance, loss of human rights, manipulation of voting rights, intolerance, violence, killings, abductions, bank robbery, crooked judiciary and all different sorts of partisanship, cronism and bigotry, countries affected by all or part of the these problems would definitely feel the need and urgency of such a leader as Moulana Bhashani who could save them from the dark pit they are in and guide their societies to a goal truly humane.

The Pauper Politician

Syed Abul Maksud

Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani was a mandarin of our national politics, a firebrand leader who was the earliest proponent of an autonomous East Pakistan. Later secession from Pakistan to create an independent Bangladesh. He was popularly known by the epithet Mazloom Jananeta or the leader of the oppressed, and was widely respected for his commitment to the