Recalling the colossus

The meteoric rise of Sheikh Mujib didn't occur overnight. Nor he was ever a selfish season bird in the political arena. He entered politics in late forties with a possible mission to serve the people of his country. And in such a cherished goal he was indeed a great visionary as well foreseer, as it was the ultimate path to freedom. A selfless, vigorously dedicated worker as he was right from the beginning of his school and college days, he was eventually destined to lead.

His innate leadership faculties sustained continuous development and careful grooming at the hands of none other than the spiritual child of democracy Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy. The memorable association between the two actors commenced in early forties when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was doing his studies in the Islamia College, Calcutta and was a resident student of the famous Baker Hostel. This eventually culminated into a literally eternal bond of love and affection. It grew so thick over the years that at one stage of his life Mr. Suhrawardy would consider himself incapable of doing his political chores in the erstwhile East Pakistan without Sheikh Mujib. To the latter as well Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy was his immaculate conscience keeper, never in life to be forsaken.

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I can faintly recollect the first time I saw Sheikh Mujib. It was during the penultimate days of British India. So far I can remember it was a couple of months before formal announcement of partition of India in August 1947. Notwithstanding the hectic parleys between the political leaders and the Viceroy in Delhi over the criteria for effecting partition of different provinces of India, the leaders of Bengal were divided on the proposed partition of Bengal. MA Jinnah and other Muslim leaders representing Muslim League evinced little or no interest in the ultimate dividing line in respect of Bengal and to some extent of Assam. In such a conflicting situation Mr Suhrawardy in a last minute bid, tried desperately to persuade Jinnah not to agree with the proposition on Bengal partition. His plea was that Bengal being a Muslim majority province Jinnah could insist for an undivided Bengal to the British authority. Jinnah wanted to be sure about the majority status of Muslims in Bengal. He asked for formal election. Suhrawardy accepted the challenge and in meeting the challenge he organised a massive campaign in the entire province. In such a course he was present in Barisal. School and college students were seen spontaneously participating in such campaign there. As a school student I too joined team that went to different mufassil areas of the district by motor launch. On board was Mr. Suhrawardy himself and among many others, Sheikh Mujib. That was the first time I came across the future leader of Bangladesh.

Sheikh Mujib, like Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Huq, was gifted with an enviable memory. He could remember anyone even seen after 20-25 years. When I met him in the motor launch during election campaign I was barely 15 in 1947. I wouldn't imagine that he would instantly recognise me when we met again 6-7 years later in Barisal town. Mr M A Karim of NAP Bhasani was with him. Karim Bhai was about to introduce me to him. But he didn't have to. Sheikh Saheb asked me: "How are you? Where is Bahauddin?" I informed him that my elder brother Kazi Bahauddin was then in Dhaka. "Tell him that I was in your town". Incidentally, it may be mentioned my elder brother (who was later Director General, Immigration and Passports, died on Oct 1-2, 1998) was also a very close political associate of Bangabandhu. Their personal relationship was very informal.

My last meeting with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a spiritually tinged one. I met him in dream in the dying hour of night on August 12-13, 1975. It was again in my home town Barisal where he went for a meeting of the party workers. The meeting was held on the upper floor of a two-storey tin shed. After the meeting he came down bare-footed. He saw me standing at the foot of the wooden stairs. He requested me to bring down his footwear which he left upstairs forgetfully. I ran up the stairs and climbed down hurriedly. He was not there. I woke up crying when my wife asked me: "What happened? Why are you crying?" I said "nothing happened. Just a bad dream perhaps."

In the morning I asked an Imam of a nearby mosque on the possible interpretation of the dream. I tried my best to dismiss it for superstition and within 48 hours I got the shock of my life. The religious interpretation of my dream had been that if somebody in power was seen walking bare-footed, it would mean an impending tragedy befalling him. It could also suggest dethroning a king or unseating someone in power forcefully. So our beloved leader and 18 of his family members were brutally murdered by a handful of disgruntled army personnel. The unearthly betrayal that precipitated such a heinous crime and dastardly act had been secretly contrived by those who used to enjoy love and affection from the Father of the Nation. To our utter misfortune we continued to be the miserable witnesses to a series of treacherous acts and a world of wretchedness and ingratitude among those beneficiaries of Sheikh Mujib's selfless personal attention and affection.

Bangabandhu was indeed a large hearted person throughout his life. Despite political rivalry with personalities like Khan A Subur, Fazlul Kader Chowdhury, Shah Azizur Rahman, he had tremendous love and affection besides personal respect for many of them.

That's how he was spontaneously prompted into taking personal responsibility for the life of Khan A Subur and FK Chowdhury immediately after the war of liberation. The returning freedom fighters were all out to punish those who sided with Pakistan or who didn't support the liberation war. Sheikh Saheb sent down his emissaries to the two persons and by way of manipulation and display of personal concern for the two lodged them inside jail. It was a strategic decision that eventually saved both from the bitter wrath and vengeance of the 'Muktijoddhas'.

However, the public amnesty that was granted to the opponents of the war of liberation, hated as Razakars, Al-Badars, and the like didn't prove to be a fully justified dispensation. Here his inborn soft-heartedness proved suicidal in as much as that it provided those beneficiaries opportunities to regain the self-same venoms to strike. And among the first victims Bangabandhu and almost all of his family members lost their lives. Besides, those assassins already sentenced to death by the lower court are now awaiting their turn to get free. Their expectation is reasonable because a good number of those allegedly taking active part in jail killing of November 03, 1975 are enjoying free life. It is about half a decade that the appeal of the convicts is lying pending and unattended. In this the ulterior motive is being widely talked about. It is expected that the government initiates quickest action to remove all the hurdles (created artificially) to hear the appeal. Shall good sense prevail on them?

Kazi Alauddin Ahmed is a management consultant.