A language hero inspired by poetry
As early as his first year of college education, Abdullah Al Harun – mentored by prominent poet Mahbub-ul-Alam Chowdhury – was different from his classmates
Political prudence and love for poetry can imbue a spirit in a youth that can ultimately make a leader in them. Chattogram language hero Abdullah Al Harun is a glaring example.
As early as his first year of college education, Harun – mentored by prominent poet Mahbub-ul-Alam Chowdhury – was different from his classmates. With a sharp political consciousness, he stood against the proposal to write Bangla in Arabic alphabet by the then Pakistani rulers, and subsequently led hardline political programmes helping the flared-up language campaign reach a conclusion in 1952.
Abdullah Al Harun was born on 14 March 1933 at Gahira village of Chattogram's Raozan upazila. In 1948, he established a library named Pragati Sangha next to Gahira school. There he launched a programme to mobilise student support for the recognition of Bangla as a state language. From 1950, he started getting involved in the Chattogram-centric Language Movement.
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During the movement, when the then Education Minister Fazlur Rahman took initiative to launch a project to write Bangla in Arabic alphabet, the students of Chattogram College were the first to stand against it. They sent an open letter to Fazlur Rahman and formed an all-party student alliance. Subsequently, they played a glorious role in the 1952 Language Movement.
Abdullah Al Harun was the convenor of Chattogram district student alliance. His prominent Language Movement comrades included MA Halim, Mohammad Ali, Golam Akbar Chowdhury, Abdul Hai, LM Nurunnabi and Dr Hashem.
Although Abdullah Al Harun was a first-year student at that time, he was more politically conscious due to his acquaintance with poet and prominent Language Movement hero Mahbub-ul-Alam Chowdhury who wrote "Kadte Ashini Fashir Dabi Niye Eshechi" (Haven't come to mourn, rather come up with the demand for justice). At that time, Chattogram College was the heart of all political activities with the backing of principal Abu Hena. Abdullah Al Harun was then the editor of the college magazine that was being published in English. Then some students including Harun took initiative to publish the magazine in Bangla. Their initiative met with protest by some students, but to no avail.
The then governor of East Pakistan was Sir Abdur Rahman and the Minister of Education was Fazlur Rahman. Fazlur Rahman came to Chattogram College in the 1950s. He faced student protest publicly first on that day on his move to write Bangla in Arabic.
A student alliance named the Independent Student Organisation was then formed, with Abdullah Al Harun as president and Mohammad Ali and Farid Uddin Ahmed general secretaries. Later, the name of this organisation was changed to "Sarbadaliya Chhatra Sangram Parishad" in February of 1952 and the above three student leaders were made joint convenors of it.
When Khawaja Nazimuddin – one of the founding fathers of Pakistan – declared "Urdu shall be the state language" on 26 January 1952, the students of Chattogram College broke down into protest and forced the all-party Sarbadaliya Sangram Parishad to sit in a meeting. Leaders of the student council including Abdullah Al Harun began to influence the parishad leaders as they could not come to a conclusive decision on state language. At one stage, the parishad announced a strike in Chattogram on 21 February 1952. The political prudence of MA Aziz, Mahbub-ul-Alam Chowdhury, Chowdhury Harun, Ruhul Amin Nizami, Mofizul Islam, Nurul Islam Chowdhury and Abdullah Al Harun was important in adopting the programme.
In preparation for the strike, Chattogram College students worked relentlessly. The next day after the strike, Chattogram students distributed the printed copy of the poem "Kadte Ashini Fashir Dabi Niye Eshechi". Abdullah Al Harun played an important role in those activities.
Even the students led the protests on 21 February and 22 February 1952 in different parts of Chattogram city.
Abdullah Al Harun was the founding president of the East Pakistan Students Union Chattogram district chapter in 1952. He died on 13 September 2004.
A TBS-Nagad initiative.
