A tale of neglect
Musfequr Rahman talks with the families of the five people who lost their lives on the fateful day of February 21, 1952, and uncovers the indifference they have received from concerned authorities over the past six decades
The five language martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for Bengali language, posthumously received the Ekushey Padak of 2000 on February 20, 2001. The state-level recognition was given to them half a century after their great sacrifice and nearly thirty years after the nation's independence.
Despite their immortal contribution to Bengali language and culture, it is rather surprising that the family members of the five language martyrs: Rafiq, Barkat, Jabbar, Shafiur and Salam are never invited by the Bangla Academy during the inauguration of the Ekushey Boi mela every year. They are also never provided much privilege in terms of placing bouquets at the Central Shaheed Minar premises on the dawn of February 21, each year.
While most Bangladeshis are unaware of the negligence of these families, from where hailed the noblest sons of the soil, it is rather shocking that only two of these families received plots for housing. They are mostly thankful that the allowances are flowing steadily every month since 2006.
In order to remember these martyrs, the past interim government completed the construction of the three memorial-cum-library under the names of Rafiq, Salam and Jabbar respectively. The memorial on Barkat is currently undergoing construction at the Palashi crossing, while nothing has been done yet to remember Shaheed Shafiur.
While visiting each of these families, the daily hardships that these families have faced over the past sixty years come to the fore. The trend is unbefitting for these families who gave the nation such brave souls; through whose sacrifices we are now living each day of our lives while speaking Bangla freely in an independent country.
Rafiq Uddin Ahmed
The portrait of language martyr
Rafiq Uddin is held by Korshed
Alam, youngest brother
of Rafiq at Rafiq Memorial.
photo by Musfequr Rahman
Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, a student of Jagannath College, took part in the procession of students on February 21, 1952 at the University of Dhaka who broke the Section 144 of the code of criminal procedure, imposed by the Pakistani government, which prohibits assembly of five or more persons as well as holding of public meetings.
When the police opened fire at students inside what was then the Dhaka Medical College premises, Rafiq was shot in the head and died immediately. Rafiq is probably the first martyr of the language movement and was later buried at the Azimpur Graveyard, by the Pakistani authorities. His grave, though, was lost and could not be identified later.
Rafiq was born at Paril village, in Singair upazila of Manikganj district, and was the eldest son of Abdul Latif and Rafiza Khatun. Rafiq passed his matriculation from the Baira School in 1949. Later, he completed his Intermediate from the Devendra College.
'Rafiq was slim, tall and very athletic,' remembered Kutubuddin Khan (80), a retired agriculture officer of Boldarhat, Manikganj.
'He loved to read and also initiated a library in the village during his student life. The library is still operational under his name,' he informed Xtra.
Rafiq's parents passed away in 1962 and 1989 respectively. 'Both of them retreated from life ever since the loss of their very first child,' said Khorshed Alam, Rafiq's youngest brother. 'After losing Rafiq, our father transferred the ownership of our family-owned printing press, based in Dhaka, to his younger brothers and returned to Manikganj,' remembered Khorshed. The press still operates in the Fakirapool area of Dhaka, now renamed Rafiq-er Bornomala.
During the last three months of her life, when President Ershad was in power, Rafiq's mother received takas five thousand every month. However, the allowance was stopped soon after Rafiza passed away on January 17, 1989.
The house, where Rafiq was born, is still fenced and has mud floors. 'Proshika, the non-government organisation (NGO), had built an L-shaped building with tin roof two years back, where a memorial for Rafiq is now open,' said Gulenur Begum, wife of late Abdul Khaleq, younger brother of Rafiq.
'The name of a bridge at the Savar-Singrail area was last year named after Rafiq. I heard that a navy gun-boat was also named after him,' added Abdur Rouf, Rafiq's nephew.
'Both my parents did not have the good fortune to witness the national recognition their son had received,' lamented Khorshed.
On February 4 this year, a meeting was called at the Rafiq Memorial at Singair to discuss an upcoming week-long fair from February 18 till 24, to be arranged by Rafiq's relatives and the local elites. The locals have been arranging this fair for the last seven years at Rafiq Nagar of Singair Upazila.
'While organising this fair, we hardly received any financial assistance from the government,' said Rouf. 'However, the interest of adjoining localities and areas toward the fair has increased immensely over the years,' he added.
Despite all the neglect, all of Rafiq's family members are nevertheless proud of his magnificent contribution to the nation. They do have some recommendations though.
'It would be great if at least a residential hall of the Dhaka University or Jagannath College could be named after Rafiq,' suggested Rouf. 'The same can probably be done by renaming any road from TSC to Dhaka Medical College at DU,' he added.
Rouf shared with Xtra a shocking story. 'Two years back, during the first hour of February 21 we were near the Central Shaheed Minar to place bouquets,' he described.
However, the Special Security Force (SSF) barred us from entering the cordoned area at around 8:00pm. 'We finally received our chance around 4:00am, all this while waiting in that particular area,' he said.
Abul Barkat
The two nephews of Shaheed
Abul Barkat, Alauddin Barkat and
Ainuddin Barkat
photo by Prito Reza
Barkat was studying MA in the department of political sciences of DU. He had secured the fourth position at the Honours final examinations from the same department.
On February 21, 1952, he gave his life for his mother language at the age of 26 and still single. Barkat was the eldest son of Shamsuzzhoha, alias Bhulu Mia and Hasina Bibi. Both of them spent the rest of their lives shedding tears for Barkat.
'Our grandfather passed away in 1963 and our grandmother died in 1982,' remembered Alauddin Barkat, Barkat's nephew. Hasina Bibi was laid to rest at Chandona village in Gazipur.
Fortunately, Barkat's family received a plot during President Ershad's tenure at Gazipur.
The memorial-cum-library dedicated to Shaheed Barkat is still undergoing construction at Palashi.
'We do not have much to demand from Bangladesh but just that the nation always remembers him for his contribution and they raise awareness amongst the coming generations as well,' said Ainuddin Barkat, another nephew of Barkat.
'At least a residential hall of Dhaka University should be named after Shaheed Barkat,' he urged.
Ainuddin shared a story how he had approached the Dhaka City corporation (DCC) authorities five years back to name a road after Barkat. 'But the proposal is still hanging,' he informed Xtra.
Finally, he reasoned that the families of the five martyrs are in different locations of Bangladesh and therefore, it is tough for the nation to know about the martyrs through them. 'If the present government takes an initiative to home the five martyr families at a particular building in Dhaka, then this problem certainly will be solved,' he suggested.
Abdus Salam
The Ekushey Padak 2001
posthumously conferred on Shaheed
Abdus Salam is held by his
youngest brother Abdul Karim
at Rafiq Nagor, Feni
photo by Musfequr Rahman
The wounded Abdus Salam succumbed to his injuries on April 7, 1952 after suffering for around 45 days at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Abdus Salam worked as a peon at the department of industries of the government of Bangladesh.
His father, Fajil Mia, and mother, Dauluter Nessa, passed away before witnessing their son's national honour in independent Bangladesh. From the four brothers and two sisters, only Abdul Karim, the youngest of Salam's siblings, is currently alive.
Abdul Karim retired as a senior warrant officer from the Bangladesh Army in 1999. He is currently living at Salam Nagar of Dagonbhuiya upazila in Feni.
'While my father was still alive, I visited the office of the deputy commissioner on the eve of every Ekushey February with my brother's blood-stained shirt,' he recalled.
'He returned only with anywhere between Tk 200 to Tk 500 as a grant,' added Hasina Begum, Salam's niece. 'My uncle and aunt never received any commendable allowance from the authorities,' she added.
Through the late Abdul Sobhan's initiatives, Hasina's father, a signboard was informally erected on the road calling the village Salam Nagar. The village was earlier named Lakkhonpur.
Even for the processing of this initiative, Abdus Sobhan travelled to the DC office at his own expenditure. During one such trip, around four years back, he was severely injured through a road accident.
'The accident left him paralysed and after suffering for two years, he finally passed away,' shared his daughter while wiping her tears. She is currently working as an agriculture labour.
A memorial-cum-library was set up dedicated to Shaheed Salam in the area. However, it is poorly maintained with just one caretaker working, named Jamaluddin.
'I have to do all the work as no one else is there,' said Jamaluddin to Xtra. Some low quality books were sent to the library on January 30.
A 990-metre-long road, starting from the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, near Bekerbazar, leading up to Salam's house, was built two years back. But due to poor maintenance and engineering, the road is currently too deteriorated to even be plied upon by rickshaws.
'The naming of Salam Nagar is yet to be approved through a government gazette,' informed the locals.
Abdul Jabbar
The portrait of language martyr
Abdul Jabbar is held-up by his
son Nurul Islam Badal
photo by Al-Emrun Garjon
The valiant language martyr Abdul Jabbar left behind a son, who was just 15-months-old at the time, his wife, Amina Khatun, aging father and mother, who used to live in Gaffargaon of Mymensingh, at the time.
After independence, a few alleged AL activists went to the then president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and managed a plot at Tejkunipara in Farmgate, for an old woman who claimed to be Jabbar's mother. The whole thing turned out to be a scam later and some unscrupulous individuals actually received the plot at Jabbar's family's expense.
And that was not the end of misery for Jabbar's only son, Badal. 'After my father passed away, my mother Amina was married off to my uncle, Abdul Kadir,' recalled Nurul Islam Badal, who is currently a retired army officer.
'After completing my intermediate in 1973, I joined the Bangladesh Army through the freedom fighter quota,' he shared. Badal heard about the plot that was allotted in his father's name.
'I had to move around from one government office to the other, when I had a few days leave, to retrieve the plot,' he remembered. 'While I began my initiatives from 1978, I finally received registration for the land in 1992,' he informed.
'Through the cash I have received as pension, I have constructed a building with tin-roof there, in 2000,' he said.
Shafiur Rahman
Aquila Khatoon, widow of language martyr
Shafiur Rahman looks at the photo of Shafiur
holding his da ughter Shanaz
photo by Prito Reza
The memory is still clear in the mind of Aquila Khatoon, who was only 19 when her husband, Shafiur Rahman, was martyred on February 22, 1952.
'It was about 10:30 am on February 21, 1952 when he rushed out for office after which he was supposed to attend the Jumma prayers,' she recalled. 'After an hour, a crowd gathered before our house inquiring whether it is the house of Shafiur Rahman,' she went on.
'They informed us that he had been wounded and took us to the hospital to visit him. One of his brothers was there and Shafiur had already handed over his diamond ring, wallet and wristwatch to him,' she shared.
He succumbed to his injuries at around 8:00pm the next day. 'Before his last breath, he called out for our daughter Shanaz,' Aquila went down memory lane.
Within minutes, six years of married life went into shambles. The responsibility of Asfia Khatoon Shanaz, their daughter and Shafiqur Rahman, their son who was born three months later after Shafiur's death, fell on Aquila.
Aquila completed the task that fell on her, after the unexpected martyrdom of Shafiur. Both Shafiur's family and Aquila's parents were well-off and so it was not very difficult for her to raise the two children.
'After the airing of a particular episode of the hit television show "Ain O Adalat" that documented the situation of the language martyrs' families, the then President Ershad became interested about the families of the language martyrs,' said Shafiqur Rahman, son of Shaheed Shafiur, who then was an automobiles' engineer for Rangs.
'He invited us all to the Bangabhahan and later initiated an allowance for my mother,' added Shafiqur, who now run his own business.
Aquila is currently busy with Samreen Adiba Rahman, her granddaughter. She lives with her son, Shafiqur, in a flat in Uttara.
The family does not have any demand from the government and are proud of Shafiur's contributions to the nation. 'Although we have not received any plots in the past 55 to 56 years, we are very embarrassed to ask the concerned authorities about it after so long,' added Shafiqur.
'We are just seeking the recognition and proper evaluation of Shafiur's sacrifice from the government,' said Aquila.
'Most people think that the martyrs' families are poor and looking to receive aid from the government. However, such is not always the case and instead, we want proper recognition of their contribution,' said the family members.
'There is no library here in Uttara and for a long time, we have been trying to set a library in Shafiur's name, in association with the other families of Sector 13 welfare committee,' said the Shaheed family members. 'But the LGRD officials are yet to cooperate with us,' informed Shafiqur.
Although the BAR Council Auditorium is named after Shafiur Rahman, Shafiqur grieved that he was not mentioned as a language martyr. 'They just dedicated the auditorium in the name of "Shaheed Shafiur Rahman",' he concluded.
Who they were…
 Aquila Khatoon, widow of language martyr Shafiur Rahman looks at the photo of Shafiur holding his da ughter Shanaz photo by Prito Reza |
Rafiq Uddin Ahmed
Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, a student of Jagannath College, took part in the procession of students on February 21, 1952 at the University of Dhaka who broke the Section 144 of the code of criminal procedure, imposed by the Pakistani government, which prohibits assembly of five or more persons as well as holding of public meetings.
When the police opened fire at students inside what was then the Dhaka Medical College premises, Rafiq was shot in the head and died immediately. Rafiq is probably the first martyr of the language movement and was later buried at the Azimpur Graveyard, by the Pakistani authorities. His grave, though, was lost and could not be identified later.
Rafiq was born at Paril village, in Singair upazila of Manikganj district, and was the eldest son of Abdul Latif and Rafiza Khatun. Rafiq passed his matriculation from the Baira School in 1949. Later, he completed his Intermediate from the Devendra College.
Abdus Salam
Government employee Abdus Salam is another martyr of the language movement who was killed in the police firing near the Dhaka Medical College on February 21, 1952. The students broke the Section 144 and brought out processions demanding that Bangla be made one of the state languages of Pakistan. He was taken to the DMCH and was treated for over a month. But he failed to recover and breathed his last on April 7, 1952. Salam was born in Lokkhonpur village, Daganbhuiyan Upazila of Feni District. He served as a peon in the department of industries. His residence was at a living quarter of the Nilkhet Barrack in Dhaka 36-B.
Shafiur Rahman
On February 22, 1952 while going to his workplace, Shafiur entered the Nawabpur Street, which was full of protesters protesting police shootings the previous day, at a language movement rally. Shafiur was struck in the back by a police bullet, and died after being taken to the Dhaka Medical College. He was buried by the authorities in the middle of the night at the Azimpur Graveyard beside the grave of Abul Barkat, who was also killed by police the previous day.
Shafiur Rahman was born in Konnagar, in Hoogli, West Bengal. Shafiur took his I Com from the Government Commercial College of Kolkata. After the partition of India he came to East Bengal with members of his family, taking a job in the accounts section of the Dhaka High Court.
Shafiur left behind a daughter Asfia Khatoon Shanaz and a son Shafiqur Rahman.
Abul Barkat
Abul Barkat was a politically active student. On February 21, 1952 he went to Amtala to join the meeting. When police opened fire, Barkat was seriously injured and later died at the Dhaka Medical College at about 8:00pm that day. Later, he was buried at the Azimpur Graveyard.
Abul Barkat was born in Babla village of Bharatpur Thana in Murshidabad, Bengal (now in India) and migrated to Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) in 1948. Barkat was the son of Shamsuzzhoha. He passed his matriculation from Talibpur High School in 1945 and passed his Intermediate from the Bahrampur Krishnanath College in 1947. He came to East Bengal after the partition of India in 1948, and resided at his uncle's house. In the same year he got admitted to Dhaka University to study political science. He received his honours in 1951 where he stood fourth in the second class. He was a Masters' student of the University of Dhaka.
Abdul Jabbar
A night before the historical incident on February 21, Abdul Jabbar came to Dhaka to get his mother-in-law, a cancer patient, admitted to the Dhaka Medical College. On February 21, when the police opened fire at the rally, Jabbar was severely injured by a stray bullet and as the incident took place near the Dhaka Medical College, he was also admitted there. He fought with death for a day and died the following night.
Jabbar was born in 1919 at the village of Panchua under the Gaffargaon upazila of Mymensingh district. He was the son of Hasan Ali and Safatun Nesa. Although he received his primary education at Dhopaghat Krishibazar Primary School, he failed to continue his education owing to poverty.
He went to Narayanganj and met an Englishman who helped him get a job in Myanmar. He returned home after twelve years of service in Burma. On his return from Myanmar, Jabbar organised a village defence group with boys from the neighborhood and led the group as its commander.
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