So I left behind some footprints: In memory of Ahmed Ilias
Ahmed Illias was a citizen of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. His identity couldn't be defined by only one nation. To remember and honour the legacy of the Bangladeshi Urdu poet, his well-wishers and family members organised a memorial service at the Liberation War Museum on 16 September
On 7 July renowned Urdu poet, writer, human rights activist, and development worker, Ahmed Ilias passed away at a hospital in Dhaka. To remember and honour the legacy of the distinguished poet, his well-wishers and family members organised a memorial service at the Liberation War Museum on 16 September.
The guests and speakers of the event appreciated his lifelong commitment to Urdu literature, the rights of the Urdu-speaking people in Bangladesh and his involvement in the liberation war of Bangladesh.
At the event, his biography was read out on stage for the guests which said, "Six collections of Urdu poetry have been published by him. Other books included the autobiography 'Biharis: The Indian Emigrants in Bangladesh' and 'The World as I Saw'."
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Ahmed Illias was a citizen of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. His identity couldn't be defined by only one nation. Over and over again he returned to Bangladesh and worked for the development of the country's people.
His interest in social and political issues made him quit a comfortable job at the Geological Survey of Pakistan and opt to serve as manager of the National Press Club.
During the liberation war, he wrote for the Urdu newspaper 'Zarida' under the patronage of Tajuddin Ahmed in support of the freedom of the people of Bangladesh.
The biography also added how the partition and Bangladesh's liberation war gave Ahmed Ilias's poetry a unique experience. That experience is reflected in many colours in his poetry. The plight experienced through his poetry falls under the genre known as the 'Partition literature' or the literature of partition.
According to the speakers of the event, there are three lakh Urdu-speaking people living here in Bangladesh. After the liberation war, their lives and identity came under threat.
In a poem called "Paper Ka Makan" (House of Paper), he wrote how whenever he got a blank piece of paper, his finger automatically drew a picture of the house. Then the poet himself got scared after seeing the picture of the house drawn himself, he was scared he might lose it again.
"He has been able to express the plight of Urdu-speaking community in a beautiful way in his books and poetry and that is where his interest lies," said one of the speakers, Mofidul Hoque, one of the founder trustees of the Bangladesh Liberation War Museum.
"In his book 'The World I saw' he draws a parallel between Israel and the partition history of the sub-continent. Even though we have come a long way since then the very things we fought for are becoming prevalent in the sub-continent again," Mofidul added.
"If we talk about the state, all the states are multi-ethnic. The beauty of a country is like a rainbow. If we suppress a community then a color is lost from the rainbow. As a result, we all suffer," he added.
Mofidul Hoque further expressed that a person like Ahmed Ilias who has been deprived of so much in his he didn't hold it against anyone. Instead, he worked for the welfare of people all his life.
"It is a great privilege to be associated with such a great personality," Mofidul concluded.
Dr CR Abrar, an academic with an interest in human rights issues was the chief guest of the event. He said, "He was an extraordinary human being in the most ordinary way, one of the qualities that strike most people about Ahmed Ilias."
"Before Ahmed Ilias people used to think that everyone in the Urdu-speaking community wanted to go back to Pakistan. Because of people like Ilias they had a voice and are being able to live in this land with dignity," Abrar added.
CR Abrar explained how Ilias made the Urdu community passionate about their nationalism. He asked them to celebrate 21st February, Victory Day, and Independence Day because they are all citizens and they need to claim it.
Family members of Ahmed Ilias also addressed the gathering. They urged the Urdu-speaking community in attendance to carry forward his legacy. They emphasized that the best way to honour his memory is by believing in the dreams he envisioned and working to fulfil them.
Ahmed Ilias did leave his footprint behind in many ways, he also founded an NGO called Al-Falah which works with Urdu speakers who live in various camps in Bangladesh to help them integrate into society.
