Abdur Razzaq (professor)

Abdur Razzaq
আবদুর রাজ্জাক

Abur Razzaq on the left and Ahmad Sofa on the right
Born 1914
Paragram, Nawabganj, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Died 28 November 1999 (aged 84–85)
Occupation Academic, educator, intellectual
Language Bengali
Nationality Bangladeshi
Ethnicity Bengali
Notable awards

National Professor Abdur Razzaq (Bengali: আবদুর রাজ্জাক; 1914 – November 28, 1999) was a noted scholar, academic, educator and intellectual in Bangladesh.[1]

Biography

Abdur Razzaq was born in 1914 in the Paragram village of Nawabganj upazila of Dhaka district. His father, Abdul Ali was a police officer. After his Matriculation from the Government Muslim High School, Dhaka and Intermediate of Arts from Dhaka College, he was admitted to the Department of Political Economy at the University of Dhaka in 1931. In 1936, he passed MA in the first class and joined as a lecturer in the same department. When the Department of Political Economy was bisected, he chose the department of Political Science. After the Second World War, Abdur Razzak went to London, UK to study under Harold Laski at London School of Economics. He returned home without any formal degree after Harold Laski had died in 1950 and carried on teaching in the department of Political Science at the University of Dhaka until 1975. He also taught in the departments of Economics and International Relations. As a teacher, he gained legendary status. His admirers "called him reverently a teacher of teachers".[1]

Abdur Razzaq's political ideas influenced anti-Ayub-government movements during the 1960s; to get rid of his influence, the Ayub regime tried to "dismiss him from his teaching position at Dhaka University on the allegation that he was not mindful of his duties as a teacher, but which the government failed to establish in the court".[1] During the Liberation War of Bangladesh, Yahya Khan-government sentenced him to a fourteen-year rigorous imprisonment in absentia accusing him of "treasonable" acts.

Though Abdur Razzaq, apart from some essays and lectures, has no published works, many intellectuals have admitted his influence on their published works. Ahmed Sofa wrote his book: যদ্যপি আমার গুরু on Abdur Razzaq. Sardar Fazlul Karim published a book: ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় ও পূর্ববঙ্গীয় সমাজঃ অধ্যাপক আব্দুর রাজ্জাক-এর আলাপচারিতা based on his interviews of Abdur Razzaq. Salimullah Khan wrote a book on his famous lecture ‘’Bangladesh: State of the Nation’’. Muntassir Mamoon, Humayun Azad and many others reminisced about him and praised him highly in their many books. Apart from many intellectuals, his disciples also included many public leaders among whom Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the most notable.[1]

To acknowledge his unique status as a teacher, the Government of Bangladesh honored him with the distinction of National Professor in 1975. In 1973, the University of Delhi honored him with a Ph D.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mohammed Mahmuduzzaman (2012). "Razzaq, Abdur1". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

External links