The unsung Language Movement heroes of Chattogram

Of all the valiant Language Movement heroes, who fought for the right to speak our mother tongue in 1952, some names shine brighter than others. Over the course of history, contributions of many Language Movement heroes were lost due to lack of information and documentation. The same is also true for the language movement heroes of Chattogram.

There were many individuals who at the very least deserve their names to be mentioned as they actively took part in the historic language movement.

Among the leaders of Tamaddun Majlish, Solaiman Khan, Ezaharul Haque, Sadek Nabi, Moinul Ahsan Siddiqui (Montu), Chowdhury Shahabuddin Ahmed Khaled, Mahfuzul Haque, Md Ibrahim, Shah Obaidur Rahman, Maksudur Rahman, Tofazzal Ali, Golam Akbar Chowdhury, MA Halim, Abdul Wadud, Abdul Hai, Farman Ullah Khan, ANM Nurunnabi, Ahmad Farid (former secretary & ambassador), Hasan Iqbal, Ahmad Sogir, Mohammad Nurullah, Habibur Rahman and Syed Mostafa Jamal's names are noteworthy.

On 4 February 1952, the Sarbadalio Rashtrobhasha Sangram Parishad, an allied political organisation in favour of Bangla as the state language, was formed at the Awami Muslim League office in Andarkilla. When Mahbub ul Alam Chowdhury, the convener of the Parishad, contracted chicken pox, Tamaddun Majlish leader Azizur Rahman acted as the convener. Representatives of all classes of professional organisations, Awami Muslim League and Tamaddun Majlish were included in the committee. Leading the Sangram Parishad were Zahur Ahmad Chowdhury (Awami Muslim League), Mozaffar Ahmad (Awami Muslim League), Habib Ullah (Tamaddun Majlish), Farid Ahmad (Tamaddun Majlish), Yahya Khaled (Tamaddun Majlish), MA Mannan (Tamaddun Majlish and later Awami League leader), Dr Anwar Hossain (Industrialist), Azizur Rahman also known as Gora Aziz, Chowdhury Harun R Rashid (Editor, Weekly Awaaz), Nuruzzaman, Krishnagopal Sengupta also known as Kala Chand), Shamsuddin Ahmed, Mofizul Islam, Ruhul Amin Nizami, Emdadul Islam, Abu Jafar, Dr Saidur Rahman, Amir Hossain Dobhas etc.

The leftist wing was led by Dr Surem Dey, Chiren Sarkar, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, Ibrahim Mondol, Fazrullah Khan, Aminur Rahman, Comrade Amar Sen, Anangan Sen, Sharbindu Dostidar, Nagen Dey, Sudhanshu Dutta, Sikder, Morla and Khaki.

Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad, Abul Fazal, Chiranjib Sharma, Achintya Chakraborty, Gopal Biswas, Mahbub Hasan and Sucharit Chowdhury led the progressive cultural movement.

Besides, renowned Group music artist Malay Ghosh Dastidar, Rabindra Sangeet artist Kalim Sharafi, Kabiyal Fani Barua, Sorbohari Pal, Shri Tejen Sen, Chiranjib Das Sharma, Achinto Chakraborty, Mahbub Hasan, Nityagopal Dutt and many others were instrumental in strengthening the cultural movement.

Dhaka University student leader Md Foyez, labour leader Mahbubul Haque, Satish Chandra Bhadra, Mokholloj Rahman, Moslem Uddin, Nuruzzaman, Ibrahim Mondol, Rafiq Uddin Siddiqui of Muslim League, Jubo League leader Fazlullah Khan, Kamal A Khan (father of Mohit Kamal), Saifuddin Khan, Principal Mohammad Ishaq, Md Farid, Mainuddin Siddiqui, Saleh Ahmed, Mainul Hasan, Yogesh Singh, Abul Fazal, Motahar Hossain, Dr Syedur Rahman, Kazi Farid, Abdul Hai, Mahmud Kamal, Abdul Halim, Vice Chancellor of Chittagong University Mohammad Ali, Journalist Farid Uddin, Golam Akbar Chowdhury, Abdul Wadud, AMN Nurunnabi, Abdullah Al Mamun (Abdullah Al Noman's elder brother), Samsuddin Mohammad Ishaq, Journalist AKM Maksud Ahmed, Advocate Omar Hayat, Advocate Abdul Mannan, Dr Mahfuzul Haque, Dr Abdul Mannan, Dr Maksudur Rahman, Dr Shahjahan, Dr Saroj Dey, Professor Mofizul Islam of communist party, Shamsuddin Jaglu, Dr Anwar Hossain (Awami Muslim League), Dr Md Azim, Mahbubul Haque, ATM Samsuddin, Mohor Ali Chowdhury, Dr MA Mannan and Golam Rasul were prominent among others.

Among the women were Manjura Begum, Aarti Dutt, Moni Imam, Joshna Ara, Jahanara Jubilee, Khaleda Khan, Fatema Salam, Nani Bala Barua, Jawshan Ara Rahman, Rama Dutt, Praniti Dastidar, Dr Laila, Fauzia Samad, Latifa Azim Khan, Serena Akhtar Banu and Geeta Dutt played significant roles in the Language Movement in Chattogram.

Professor Nirmal Sen, Professor Nurul Islam Chowdhury, Professor Kaikobad, Professor Badrul Haidar and Anshuman Hod of Kanungopara Sir Ashutosh College played crucial roles in Chattogram's Boalkhali. Among the students Shahidullah Abul Bashar, Kamal Rahman and Nurul Islam were involved in the movement.

Among the activists in Raozan Dr Nurul Islam, Raj Mohon Sharma and Abdul Hai were prominent. In Mirsarai – Syed Fazlul Haque, ATM Shamsuddin, Journalist Nurul Islam, Ahsan Ullah Chowdhury, Obaidul Haque Khandaker and Mahbubul Haque and in Sitakundu – Dr Kafi Khan and Dr Rashid Al Faruki played vital roles.

Cox's Bazar was a Mohokuma (sub divisional town) of Chittagong at the time and the local students organised the movement there. The movement was led by Cox's Bazar High School student Khaled Mosharraf (sector commander of liberation war), Nurul Huda Chowdhury, Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury (son of Mohokuma Administrator), Abdul Mabud Ekhlasi, Shamsul Huda, Osman Gani, Nurul Azim Chowdhury, Saleh Ahmed, Badsha Mia, Jalal Ahmed, Abdur Rahman, Kamaluddin, Babu Prabhas Rakshit, Shri Nikhileshwar Chakraborty, Nasir Uddin (Range Officer's Son), Advocate Salamat Ullah, Nur Ahmed, Joynal Abedin, Deputy Attorney General Amirul Kabir Chowdhury, Mohammad Muslim, Abul Kashem and footballer Sagir.

Chakariya's Jamal Uddin, Nazir Ahmed, Kutubdia's Md Rafiz, Tektaf's Abinash Chandra, Babu Mongni, Abdur Rahman, Haji Abdul Gani and others played important roles in the Language Movement.

A TBS-Nagad initiative