|| M. Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan ||
During the Language Movement of 1952, the renowned journalist Zahur Hossain Chowdhury served as the joint editor of the daily newspaper *Sangbad*. By virtue of this position, he maintained good connections within government circles and was well aware of the government’s hardline stance regarding February 21st. He held a deep affection for the Language Movement activist Oli Ahad. As the date—February 21st—approached, Zahur Hossain Chowdhury repeatedly urged them to abandon their plan to defy the law. On February 19th, at his own residence, he warned Oli Ahad that the government would not hesitate to deploy the military—and even tanks—to suppress the movement. In response, Oli Ahad declared, "Death is preferable to servitude." October 14th marks the 14th death anniversary of this man, a figure defined by his courage and steadfast character. His bold role offers a vital historical lesson: time and again, human history has shown that state forces are ultimately compelled to yield before a united, unarmed populace.
Our history is woven with various events, each featuring a cast of characters—heroes, villains, and others—who emerged as the exigencies of history demanded. They have enriched the tapestry of our past. Among these luminous figures stands Oli Ahad—a hero of the Language Movement, a man who remained a lifelong revolutionary and an unyielding rebel. His life was marked by an almost total refusal to compromise. He was one of the key figures who risked everything during the 1952 Language Movement. Yet, he did not stop at securing the status of Bangla as a state language; he remained actively engaged in subsequent struggles for self-determination, independence, and the realization of fundamental rights.
Few politicians as brilliant as Oli Ahad have been born on this soil. Despite consistently ranking at the top of his class throughout his academic life—from school and college to university—he eschewed a conventional, secure career. Instead, he chose politics, dedicating his life to the cause of the people's liberation. Given the current social and political landscape, an examination of the entire political career of this exceptionally brilliant and knowledgeable man raises a question: was he truly successful in politics, or does his life stand as a testament to failure? In today’s reality, political success is often measured solely by whether one attains the position of an MP or a minister—regardless of the methods used or the paths taken, no matter how unprincipled or murky those paths might be. He was the first person to be imprisoned for his role in the Language Movement. Due to his involvement in this movement, the government of the time expelled him from Dhaka University for four years on March 29, 1948. Although he completed his B.Com, the authorities prevented him from pursuing an M.Com at the university. It was not until 58 years later, in 2006, that the Dhaka University authorities finally rescinded this expulsion order. Furthermore, he played a significant role in national politics between 1947 and 1975. In the later stages of his political career, he founded a political party called the 'Democratic League' and served as its president until the end of his life. Concurrently, he edited the popular weekly *Ittehad* during the 1980s. He also authored the book *Jatiyo Rajniti 1945–1975* (National Politics 1945–1975), which draws upon his extensive experience in national politics.
Oli Ahad, a veteran of the Language Movement, was born in 1928 in Islampur, Brahmanbaria. His father, Abdul Wahab, served as a District Registrar. His early education began within his family. After completing his primary schooling, he passed his secondary examinations in the first division in 1944 and enrolled at Dhaka College. In 1946, he was selected as a member of a four-person 'Workers' Camp' for the Tripura district, tasked with campaigning for the creation of Pakistan. His commitment to this cause even forced him to forgo his ISC examinations that year. In 1947, he passed his ISC in the first division and enrolled in the B.Com program at Dhaka University. It was during his college years that he entered politics as an activist for the Muslim Chhatra League—the starting point of his political journey.
He was also one of the founding members of the East Pakistan Muslim Chhatra League, which was established on January 4, 1948. He was the founder and General Secretary of the East Pakistan Youth League, one of the key organizations that led the blood-soaked Language Movement of 1952. On March 11, 1948, he was imprisoned by the Pakistani police for his role in the Language Movement. Although he secured the top position in the B.Com examination at the University of Dhaka in 1950, the authorities at the time—citing his involvement in the movement for the state language—denied him the opportunity to pursue an M.Com degree and expelled him from the university. Oli Ahad, a prominent figure who defied Section 144 during the Language Movement and served as a key organizer during the 1971 Liberation War, spent a total of 19 years of his life in prison. He was politically associated with figures such as Sher-e-Bangla A. K. Fazlul Huq, the 'leader of the oppressed' Maulana Bhashani, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He also served as the founding Organizing Secretary of the Awami League.
On the evening of February 20, 1952, the Nurul Amin government imposed Section 144 in Dhaka. At a meeting held at the Awami League office in Nawabpur, chaired by Abul Hashim, it was decided not to defy Section 144. However, the University Action Committee remained determined to challenge it. During a meeting of the Action Committee, Abdul Matin, Oli Ahad, and Golam Maula voted in favor of defying Section 144. The students decided to break the restriction in an organized manner, splitting into numerous small groups of ten. As the students began to defy Section 144 on February 21, skirmishes broke out between them and the police. On the morning of February 24, the father of the martyr Shafiur Rahman—and subsequently, on February 26, Abul Kalam Shamsuddin—formally inaugurated the Shaheed Minar. Meanwhile, under the Public Safety Act, Abul Hashim, Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, and others were arrested.
BP/TD
.jpg)
.jpg)
