In this world of mortals, the list of persons who have become immortals by dint of their deeds is not very long. One of them is the man who has put Bangladesh into the world map. He is the poet of politics, the harbinger of our history and a dream hunter. He is none other than the father of the Bengali nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
He is the only leader of the subcontinent blessed with the special grace of the Creator, under whose leadership the epic of an independent state has been penned in the form of Bangladesh. Let’s try to analyse this great man’s charismatic character from different lenses.
First of all, Bangabandhu is the leader who spearheaded the formation of an independent state for the Bangalees with a view to ensuring their rights while many other failed in their attempt. Historian Niharanjan Roy in his "History of the Bengalis: Early Episodes" said, “The attempt made by Shashanka Pal and the Sen kings to unite all the settlements of Bengal under the name of Gaur was not successful.
Hateful and contemptible from the point of view and the name of Bengal was less glorious and cherished by the Pala and Sen kings. But the whole of Bangladesh was not united during the Hindu period in the name of Bengal; it happened during the so-called Pathan period and came to fruition during the reign of Akbar, when all of Bangladesh became known as Suba Bangla.
The Bengali name gained full recognition and establishment during the British rule, although today's Bangladesh is inferior to the Akbari Suba Bangla." In the aftermath of the 'Partition of Bengal', ethnic and religious politics made the subcontinent's Bangladesh quite small in size, but today it is elevated to its status. It is Bangabandhu who realised the dream of thousands of Bangalees of an independent country.
He was a ‘poet of politics’, and only the speech delivered
on 7 March is enough to substantiate this claim. Apart
from the poetic qualities of the speech, every sentence
of the speech reflects his love for the country. There is no
denying that it was Bangabandhu's speech that
rejuvenated the souls of the Bangalees to jump
into the fire for liberating our country
Secondly, he was a leader with unparalleled qualities. There is a proverb - the face of a thorn never needs to be sharpened, meaning it grows naturally sharp. Similarly, Bangabandhu was born to be a great leader.
His ability paved the way for his rise to leadership. During his whole political career, Bangabandhu was an example of pure political practice who was committed to realising the rights of the people. He was not a mere entity rather he was a great leader from every aspect.
Thirdly, he was a ‘poet of politics’, and only the speech delivered on 7 March is enough to substantiate this claim. Apart from the poetic qualities of the speech, every sentence of the speech reflects his love for the country.
There is no denying that it was Bangabandhu's speech that rejuvenated the souls of the Bangalees to jump into the fire for liberating our country. It was the hypnotic power of Bangabandhu's speech that imbued every Bengali with strong self-
determination, planted the seeds of liberation in their minds and gripped them with a firm conviction to taste freedom. He believed firmly that the fierce movement, which was formed with the heart, would make the Bengalis irresistible, and the downfall of the evil power was certain.
That's why he didn't hesitate to announce in a loud voice – ‘Go ahead with whatever you have’. He was able to rekindle the flame of victory in the hearts of the Bangalees and for this reason, it was possible for him to utter such words – ‘when we have given blood, we will give more, and we will set the people of this country free, in sha Allah'.
Fourthly, the focus of Bangabandhu's thoughts was to serve the people only. He wanted to enrich Bangladesh with his knowledge, experience, refined taste and clear-mindedness. He wanted modernization in every field. That’s why he was in favor of mediation in order to avoid legal complexities.
Throughout the eventful life of Bangabandhu, we come across at least five examples of avoiding the complexity of the case through such mediation which can be cited from his "Unfinished Autobiography" and analysis of other incidents. Section 89A of the Civil Procedure Act (2003), Section 22, 24 of the Finance Court Act, 2003 and Section 10 of the Family Court Ordinance, 1985 are direct results of Bangabandhu's demands and thoughts.
Fifthly, Bangabandhu's interest in literature was unpretentious. It is easily conceivable from memoirs, displayed photographs and other narratives that he read lots of books. His interest was especially in biographies. Maybe that's why his idea of life was so deep. He was an avid fan of literature.
He said at the International Conference of the Bangla Academy held in 1974, "We are not poor in terms of literature, culture and tradition. We also have a glorious history of two thousand years in language. Our treasures are rich and our cultural heritage is radiant with its own characteristics.
In order to stand high in the world stage as an independent nation, we have to establish the dignity of literature, culture and heritage at home and abroad." His keen interest in literature and his dexterity as a writer are understandable from his autobiography ‘Osomapto Attojiboni’ (Unfinished Memoirs).
Sixthly, he did everything to keep Bangladesh on the path of development after the independence. It is the pre-requisite of a sovereign country to formulate a constitution - a well-coordinated division of law, justice and governance.
He fulfilled that prerequisite. Moreover, he emphasized agricultural development to keep the wheels of economy moving. He was totally determined to build a nation free from discrimination and full of economic prosperity, socialist values and equality.
Last but not least, the truest way to pay respect to this demagogue would be to internalise his ideals. The youths should try to emulate him.
In this regard, it is important to pass on the right history to the young generations so that nobody can think of speaking ill of him in future, let alone assassinate his character. His followers must not deviate from the ideology cherished by him. Only then we will be able to make him immortal.
The writer is a poet, human rights activists and a member of BAPA, BEN and UNAB.
