The anatomy of an impeccable leader
At a time when politicians are losing touch with commoners, Bangabandhu’s character attributes could serve as a lantern to illuminate our inner selves, as well as show us the righteous path
Some people live through names (surnames and family legacy) while others live through their actions. Bangabandhu, beyond a shadow of a doubt, belonged to the latter group.
As we speak of him on the 104th Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation, it is important to shed light on different attributes of Bangabandhu's character, which not only made him an illustrious leader but also catapulted him into the limelight in the then polity.
Unlike his contemporaries, he was different. To be particular, his sense of discourse, diplomatic acumen, unfathomable love for mass people, and his level of patriotism were unparalleled. These qualities clearly distinguished him from other leaders of his time. In fact, these attributes are still relevant in our present context, as Bangabandhu's character attributes could be a guiding principle for all those involved in our political arena.
First, Bangabandhu had a very fine sense of the nuances of language. He knew that a sentence is not merely stretches of words, rather well-constructed words could bring about revolutionary changes. His oration style, complemented by top-notch tonal quality, was also unique. This is what we observe in the historic 7 March Speech delivered at the Ramna Race Course Maidan back in 1971. That speech made its place in the history books because of not only the subject matter it reflected upon, but for the exceptional way of constructing the messages deploying the finest sense of discourse.
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The speech, supported by a sense of passion and vigour, immediately rejuvenated people belonging to all echelons of the society. One very prominent part of this speech was that it addressed the long-cherished longings of the masses and Bangabandhu was able to strike a chord with ordinary people through this discourse.
As a profound consequence, people did not hesitate even for a moment to join the liberation war in great numbers. So, Bangabandhu clearly knew how to move people with the power of discourse.
The greatest leader in our history, Bangabandhu was equally good at playing diplomatic gambits. His diplomatic acumen always benefited the country, even in the post-liberation period. When Bangabandhu was released from jail in Pakistan after our independence, he took a short recess in Delhi while returning to Bangladesh. He met his Indian counterpart Indira Gandhi and didn't forget to thank her and the people of India for their relentless support throughout the liberation war.
During this short break, Bangabandhu, out of his diplomatic prudence, requested Indira Gandhi to call the Indian troops back from Bangladesh within the shortest possible time. This act speaks very highly of his diplomatic acumen and farsightedness as a leader. Because he was very well aware of the consequences if Indian troops were allowed to stay in the newly-independent country for a longer period of time.
Another quality that truly made Bangabandhu a man of the people is his unconditional love for his countrymen. Bangabandhu had spent a significant portion of his life in prison. He had to sacrifice his family and personal life for the greater welfare of the country and its people. Away from the warmth of his family, this great leader languished in jail for years just because of doing politics for the greater welfare of people. His prison time was so frequent that even the youngest members of the family started forgetting his face.
As narrated in 'Ausamapta Atmajiboni (The Unfinished Memoirs)', "Once my wife and I were gossiping while Hasu (Hasina) and Kamal were playing on the floor. Hasu came to me in the middle of the game and addressed me as 'Abba' (father). Kamal used to keep looking at me but would not say anything. Suddenly Kamal said to Hasu, 'Apu (sister), can I call your father Abba (father)?' Then, I went to Kamal and took him in my lap and said, 'I am your father too.'
"It is astonishing that your own children forget your face if you stay away from them for a long time. When I went to jail, Kamal was only a few months old. Who will realise that it is a heinous act to keep someone away from his kith and kin by putting him behind the bars without any kind of trial for political reasons?"
This one example is enough to calibrate the depth of the sacrifices Bangabandhu made for the people. Only when a man is driven by an afflatus sourced from an indomitable spirit of patriotism, can he make such a sacrifice for the emancipation of his country and its people.
His love for people did not diminish in the post-liberation period either. That's why, when he was informed of a conniving plot being hatched to assassinate him by a former R&AW officer, he ruled out any such possibility without a second thought. He could never imagine even in his wildest dreams that his own people could kill him.
Bangabandhu was a person of such great magnanimity and vision. Antithetical to what he was as a man and a political leader, our contemporary politicians stand as a complete contrast. It is very shocking to see that our present-day politicians could not mould themselves despite having such a glaring example in front of them.
One of our politicians, in a recent conversation with journalists, suggested mass people have jujube and guavas instead of dates when he was confronted with questions about the sky-rocketing prices of fruits. Just to cover up his failure to control the market, he made very insensible remarks without taking into account the afflictions of cross-sections of people.
The remark was very unlikely of a minister, which clearly portrayed his inability to empathise with ordinary people. This is something a leader like Bangabandhu would never approve of. These politicians actually do not understand the pulse of the masses, let alone sympathise with them like our Father of the Nation.
We are fortunate that we had a leader like Bangabandhu among us. His ideals and life lessons should not be reserved for discussions only, rather everyone should try to emulate those qualities. At a time when politicians are losing touch with commoners, Bangabandhu's character attributes could serve as a lantern — it could illuminate our inner selves as well as show us the righteous path.
Md Morshedul Alam Mohabat is a columnist who likes to delve deeper into the human psyche and social incongruities with a view to exploring the factors that influence these.
