Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani
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| Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani | |
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| Alternate name(s): | Red Maulana |
| Date of birth: | 1880 (date unknown) |
| Place of birth: | Dhangara, Tangail , British India |
| Date of death: | November 17, 1976 |
| Place of death: | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Movement: | Khilafat movement Non-cooperation movement Bengali Language Movement Bangladesh Liberation War Farakka Long March |
| Major organizations: | National Awami Party |
Maulana Bhashani (full name Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani) (Bengali: মাওলানা ভাসানী) (1885-1976), was a popular political leader in Pakistan and Bangladesh, a self-educated, village-based man. He was born in 1880 in Dhangara, Tangail in erstwhile Bengal (Bangladesh). Bhashani was the son of Haji Sharafat Ali Khan. He gained immense popularity among peasants. Owing to his Maoist inclincations, he was nicknamed the Red Maulana. He was one of the founding members and President of the National Awami Party(NAP). He fought against colonialism, both British and Pakistani. His support for Field Marshall Ayub Khan's in the 1965 Presidential elections against his own nominee Fatima Jinnah triggered a split in the party in 1967. His decision to boycott the 1970 Pakistan general elections effectively led to the electoral sweep by erstwhile opponent Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He died on 17 November 1976 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and was buried at Santosh, Tangail.
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[edit] Early life
In 1885 Maulana Bhasani was born in Serajganj, presently a district, formerly a sub division under Pabna. During 1907-09 he received religious education at the Deoband Madrasah. The association of Mr Mahmudul Hasan (Shaikhul Hind) and other famous progressive Islami thinkers inspired Bhasani against British imperialism. In 1909 he started teaching in a primary school at Kagmaree, Tangail. During 1909-13 he worked with the political extremists. In 1914 he revolted against the Christian missionaries in Netrakona and Sherpur areas of the then East Bengal.
[edit] Political life
[edit] British period
In 1917, Bhasani was inducted into active politics and joined the Nationalist party led by Desbandhu Chittaranjan Das as an activist. Inspired by Maulana Mohammed Ali, he joined the Indian National Congress in 1919. In 1920 he was arrested and imprisoned. After being released, he participated in Khilafat movement. In 1921 he participated in Non-Cooperation movement against the British imperialism under the leadership of Deshbandhu C R Das. He suffered imprisonment for some days at that time. He joined the Muslim League in 1930. In the April of 1944 he was elected the president of Muslim League at its Barpeta session where after he devoted to Pakistan movement.
[edit] Early Pakistan days
After establishment of Pakistan in 1947, through partition of British India, Bhasani found his anti-establishment course of action. On July 23, 1949, he founded "East Pakistan Awami Muslim league. Bhasani was elected its president with Shamsul Huq as its General Secretary. On July 24, 1949 he organized the first meeting of Awami League at Armanitola ground of Dhaka.
On January 31, 1952 he formed the "All Party Language movement Committee" at the Dhaka Bar Library. The National Democratic Front was established under his leadership on December 4, 1953. Notably he renamed Awami Muslim League as Awami League by removing " Muslim" from its official name in the council session of Awami League held on 21-23 October 1953. In 1956 Bhasani carried out Hunger strike in demand of food for the famine affected people from 7 to 23 May. In course of the famous Kagmaree Conference of Awami League held on 7-8 February, 1957, Bhasani said ‘good bye’ (Assalamu Alaikum) to the West Pakistani authority who was systematically discriminating against East Pakistan. On July 24-25, 1957 Bhasani convened the conference of All Pakistan Democratic Activists. On July 25 he formed the East Pakistan National Awami Party (NAP). Bhasani was elected the President with Mahmudul Huq Osmani, the General Secretary. He organized the Cooperative for the Cultivators of East Pakistan on 2-3 January, 1968. He was elected the founder Chairman. On June 15 of the same year Bhasani founded the Cooperative for the Provincial Fish Tradesmen at Dhaka Bar library. On October 12, he was arrested by President General Ayub Khan's government from the Mirzapur hospital, Tangail.
In 1967 Bhasani protested against the governmental ban against Tagore. In 1969 Bhasani launched movement to withdraw the Agartala Conspiracy Case and for the release of Sheikh Mujib and other co-accused persons. When the war of liberation started on 26 March 1971, Maulana Bhasani went to India. He returned to Bangladesh after liberation. He breathed his last in the hospital on 17 November 1976.
[edit] Jukta Front
The Muslim League Government both in the center and the province of East Pakistan lost considerable popularity after the Language Movement of 1952. It was seen as a political party and a government that were not capable or interested in protecting the interest of East Pakistan. In 1954, election was going to be held in the province and a new political force emerged to challenge the Muslim League. It was called Jukta Front (United Front) and comprised the party of Maulana Bhashani, the firebrand left-oriented leader and Krishak Sramik Party of A. K. Fazlul Huq, former Prime Minister of Bengal. The Awami League, under Shahid Suhrawardy also joined the alliance. Soon there was a grounds swell of a popular movement supporting the Jukta Front. Under the umbrella of Jukta Front Maulana Bhashani played a vital role in spearheading opposition to West Pakistan dominated politics. In the elections of 1956, Jukta Front successfully defeated Muslim League and formed the provincial government of East Pakistan. However, the government was arbitrarily dismiised and all leaders except Maulana Bhasani eventually submitted to the West Pakistani decision-makers, inclduing A. K. Fazlul Huq and Shahid Suhrawardy.
[edit] Kagmari Conference
[edit] Life behind the bar
[edit] Hunger strikes
Bhasani often resorted to hunger strikes as mode of peaceful protest. On one occasion his hunger strike continued for as long as thirty one days.
[edit] Political philosophy
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (December 2007) |
[edit] Independent East Pakistan
Maulana Bhasani was the first among the politicians to conceive of an independent East Pakistan. In early 1950s he felt that an integrated Pakistan was no longer maintainable with hegemony of West Pakistan. In Kaagmari Sommelan, he bid farewell to West Pakistan by saying Assalamualikum which soon became a reference quote. He declined to participate in the national election of 1970 saying that it will only help perpetuate rule by West Pakistan. Since 1969 his favoirite slogans were Swadhin Bangla Zindabad and Azad Bangla Zindabad. His dream of an independent Purba Bangla (East Bengal)came true when Bangladesh was established as an indepednent nation-state through bloody struggle in 1971.
[edit] Chinese connection
He was known have a Chinese connection and was the leader of pro-Chinese politicians of East Pakistan.
[edit] Anti-Indian stance
It is said that Maulana Bhasani considered India a 'difficult' neigherbour and occasionally took anti-Indian stance. When, like all opposition political leaders Bhasani took refuge in India, with the beginning of war of liberation in 1971, he was not allowed to participate in any activity. In fact he had to spend the entire period of the liberation war in confinement in Delhi. After return to Dhaka (22 January 1972) his first demand was to withdraw Indian troops from the soil of Bangladesh.
[edit] Hukumat-e-Rabbania
Towards the end of his life, Bhasani established another organization, styled Hukumat-e-Rabbania.
[edit] Support for post-Mujib era
Life-long president of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed in a military coup d'état on 15 August 1975. A turbulent political scenario followed as coup and counter-coup took place. In 1976, Maulana Bhasani explicitly supported the change of regime when General Ziaur Rahman was given the helmsmanship of the country.
[edit] Prophet of violence
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (December 2007) |
[edit] Journalism
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (December 2007) |
[edit] Weekly Ittefaq
Daily Ittefaq has been the most popular Bengali newspaper of Bangladesh since early 1970s. However its precursor is Weekly Ittefaq. After partition of India in 1947, Muslim League emerged as the government political party. Soon opposition movement started and a political party named Awami Muslim League was founded with Bhasani as one of the central figures. In this backdrop Maulana Bhasani started publishing the Weekly Ittefaq in 1949. It was an ardent critique of the Muslim League government. The weekly soon became popular. [1]. Legendary journalist Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mian acted as its editor. It remains ambiguous under what circumstances Manik Mian started to use his own name as the owner of the weekly turned a daily.
[edit] Weekly Huq Katha
On February 25 1972, Bhasani started publishing a weekly Haq Katha and it soon gained wide circulation. It was outspoken about the irregularities and mis-rule of Awami League government established after independence of Bangladesh. Rampant corruption by Awami League politicians were boldy reported. As a consequence the weekly was soon banned by Sheikh Mujib. It was edited by Irfanul Bari, Bhasani-desciple.
[edit] Daily Banaga Barta
Maulana Bhasani also initiated a national daily published from Dhaka and titled Dainik Banga Barta.
[edit] Farakka Long March, 1976
On May 1976 National Leader of Bangladesh Maulana Bhashani led a massive Long–March demanding demolition of the Farakka Barrage constructed by India to divert flow of Ganges waters inside its territory, triggering the drying up of river Padma and desertification of Bangladesh. It was the first popular movement against India demanding a rightful distribution of the Ganges's water. Since then Historic Farakka Long March Day is observed on 16th March every year.
The-then government of Bangladesh unofficially supported Bhasani's Farakka Long March. Navy-chief Rear Admiral M. H. Khan in charge of providing logistics. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life from all over the country gathered in Rajshahi town to participate in the Long March. In the morning of 16 March, Maulana Bhasani addressed a mammoth gathering of people at the Madrash Miadan, Rajshahi, from where the Long Macrh commenced. Hundreds of thousands of people walked more than 100 kilometers on foot for days. The March continued up to Kansat, a place near the India-Bangladesh border, close to the Farakka barrage.
[edit] References
- ^ [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/P_0266.htm Press and Politics
- Prophet of Violence time Magazine Friday, Apr. 18, 1969
- A journey into disillusionment by Sherbaz Mazari
- Peter Custer's essays on Bhashani
