Muhammad Enamul Haque

Muhammad Enamul Haq (20 September 1902 - 16 February 1982) was a Bangladeshi researcher, litterateur and educationist.^[1]

Early life and education

Enamul was born on 20 September 1902 in Bakhtpur in Fatikchhari Upazila of Chittagong District. While studying in Rauzan High School, he came into contact with Ismail Hossain Shiraji and was imbued with the spirit of nationalism. He passed the Entrance Examination obtaining first division in 1923 and was awarded a Mohsin scholarship. He passed the FA Examination in 1925 from Chittagong College. He earned BA degree with Honors in Arabic in 1927 and MA in 1929 securing first position in the first class in Oriental languages from the University of Calcutta. He was awarded the Jagattarini Gold Medal for the result.

Receiving a scholarship from the University of Calcutta, Enamul researched on the history of Sufism in Bengal under the supervision of Suniti Kumar Chatterji from 1929 to 1934. He got his PhD degree in 1935.

Career

Enamul started his career as a translator in the Writers Building, Calcutta and soon after he left the job and joined teaching. He taught at Jorwarganj High School in Meersarai in 1936, Barasat High School in 1937, Howrah Zilla School in 1941 and Maldah Zilla School in 1942. He became the Headmaster of Dhaka Zila School in 1945. He joined the Rajshahi College as a Professor in 1948. He was appointed the Principal of Daulatpur College (non-Government) on deputation in 1952. He joined the Rajshahi Government College as a professor of Bengali in 1954. After a few months he joined Jagannath College as the Principal.

Enamul was appointed the Chairman of the East Bengal School Text Book Board in 1955 and that of the East Bengal Secondary Education Board in 1956. He was appointed the first Director of the newly established Bangla Academy in 1956. He joined University of Rajshahi as a Professor of Bengali in 1961. During 1964-68, he was the Founder-Director of the Kendriyo Bangla Unnayan Board (Central Board for the Development of Bengali). He served in the Department of Bengali, University of Dhaka, as a supernumerary Professor from 1969 to 1973. He worked at the post of Chairman of the Bangladesh Itihas Parisad in 1973.

After the independence of Bangladesh, he was made a full-time member of the University Grants Commission in 1973. He became the vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University in 1975. He joined Dhaka Museum as a Senior Research Fellow in 1981, a position which he held till his death on 16 February 1982.

Notable writings

• Arakan Rajsabhaya Bangla Sahitya (Bengali Literature in the Court of Araken, research work written jointly with Abdul Karim Shahityavisharad), 1935;
• Bange Sufiprabhab (The Influence of Sufism in Bengal, research work), 1935;
• Bangla Bhasar Sangskar (Reform of Bengali language, linguistic), 1944;
• Muslim Bangla Sahitya (Muslim Bengali Literature, research work), 1957;
• A History of Sufism in Bengal, 1976;
• Perso-Arabic Elements in Bengali (with GM Hilali), 1967.

Awards

• Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 1962
• Bangla Academy Award in 1964
• Ekushey Padak in 1979
• President Award in 1966
• Sher-e-Bangla Literary Award in 1980
• Muktadhara and Abdul Hye Literary Awards in 1981
• Independence Day Award in 1983

References