A great Humanist Expired
- Ajoy Roy
Justice K M Sobhan a great humanist and uncompromising fighter against
Mullahism, and fundamentalism of any sort succumbed to a heart attack when
he was completing his routine afternoon walk. He was a regular evening
walker of long distance starting from his home at Malibug and after
strolling a few rounds inside the Ramna green he used to go back to his
house on foot. Many a times I met him in the green. Being a colourful person
and out and out secular democrat he never accepted the tyrannical oppressive
rule of BNP-Jam at alliance under the leadership of Begum Khaleda. He
collapsed following a severe chest pain in the garden while walking and was
immediately rushed to the nearby diabetic cardiac hospital. Though admitted
at ICU moment he as taken to the hospital he refused to respond to medical
attention and emergency treatment. Doctors declared him dead.
Because of his uncompromising attitude involving principle and ethics,
General Ershad, the then president of the country, removed him from the
Supreme Court. The other day he was telling me that when AL government came
to power under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, many advised him to approach
the PM for the redress of the injustice made to him by Ershad government,
but he refused to see PM on this matter.
It is a great loss to suffering humanity in Bangladesh particularly of the
religious and ethnic minorities and the suffering Ahmmediyas. He was a great
friend of Ammediya community and was very much sympathetic to their cause.
For this very reason he never forgave Maududi and his party Jamat e Islam,
wherever it exists be it in Pakistan, in India or in Bangladesh. He always
considered Jamat terrorism, fundamentalism of worst kind and communalism are
only different name of the same phenomenon- Islamic Fundamentalism.
Justice Sobhan was actively associated with many human rights organizations
like `Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Kamiti, Vice President of the 'South Asian Forum
against Communalism', President of Human Rights Association, a founder
member of Executive Council of BILIA, President of Bangabandhu Parisad etc
etc. He was one of the founder members of the Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Kamiti
that launched movement against the war criminals headed by Jahanara Imam.
Justice Sobhan was one of judges of the public tribunal that pronounced
Golum Azam and a few others guilty of violation of human rights and
committing crime against humanity during the liberation war of 1971 in
Bangladesh. .
I still remember very vividly when we were launching an International
movement to fight blasphemy in Pakistan to save the life of Dr. Yunus Sheikh
under the banner of the Dhaka Committee to Save the Life of Yunus Sheikh, I
approached to him if he would join the movement. He readily agreed and
offered his service in the international legal aid team for saving the life
of Dr. Yunus Sheikh, which we were contemplating to constitute.
Off late Justice Sobhan was in the forefront in launching a movement
demanding the trial of War criminals like Golum Azam and gong. On 29th
December at 11 am he was with us in a press conference in which a unanimous
joint declaration demanding (i) the constitution of a War criminal fact
finding commission and constitution of special tribunal(s) for trying the
well identified war criminals in the liberation war of 1971. In press
conference as justice he categorically pronounced that under 1973 Act
dealing with trial of war criminals could be invoked through a mere gazette
notification to constitute war criminals fact finding commission and
necessary special tribunals. He stressed repeatedly that it is the
government that must file the cases against the war criminals, and no other
agency, collective or individual.
We together returned to our respective houses after the press conference on
December 29 in a car of Shariar Kabir. And he passed away peacefully on 31st
December just two days later. That was the last time I saw him and listened
to his last but magnificent speech.
Needless to say it is an irreparable personal loss to me. I clearly remember
many a time we fought together against obscurantism from different forums.
Although we had difference of age over a decade he was very close to me and
out of his unfolding magnanimity he treated me like his dear friend. To
protect against persecution of minorities and Ahmediyas we together moved to
many places to stand behind the oppressed and suffering humanity even
risking our lives. In him I lost a very good elder brother like friend as
well as a very well-wisher whom I used to fall back in need. Needless to say
it is an irreparable personal loss to me. I clearly remember many a time we
fought together against obscurantism from different forums. Although we had
difference of age over a decade he was very close to me and out of his
unfolding magnanimity he treated me like his dear friend. To protect against
persecution of minorities and Ahmediyas we together moved to many places to
stand behind the oppressed and suffering humanity even risking our lives. In
him I lost a very good elder brother like friend as well as a very
well-wisher whom I used to fall back in need.
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Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
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MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
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