Maulana Bhasani – The Man I Admire Most
Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani is the man whom I like most about his rare quality and strong personality. He was an accepted political leader in Pakistan and Bangladesh, a rustic based self-educated human being. I cannot but always remember him with great respect from the core of my heart. He gain an enormous reputation amongst peasants, outstanding to his sympathy for the progressive military, deemed secure to socialists/communists, he was nicknamed as “Red Maulana”.
He is regarded as the promoter of material and left-leaning politics in current days Bangladesh. I did not see him physically. But I have heard many things about my favorite man. I. have also read about him. I have gone through many articles written about him in journals and periodicals. Recently I have gone through a book, “Shatabdir Jana Nayak Maulana Bhashani” written by Khandakar Abdur Rahim. Through this book, I have discovered this great leader and I have realized his greatness.
Though Maulana Bhasani lived like an ordinary man, he had no greed for wealth and he had no jealousy in mind. He always used to lead a humble life. He would live in a simple straws-built house and was quite indifferent to fame.
He was a spiritual leader and he could foresee many things. Even he could predict many probable incidents that were likely to happen. He was the founder and President of the Pakistan Awami Muslim League which later became Awami League (AL)
Again, he always ignored the material gain. This great leader used to put on a very simple dress like Punjabi and a lung! made of course clothes and a cap made of palm-leaf. Nobody has ever found him to wear a suit or any modern dress. Nobody has ever seen him use warm clothes or shawl in winter. He was seen to be wearing only an ordinary wrapper round his body. He had never put on shoes but a sandal.
But he was a revolutionary leader who would always fight for the just cause of poor peasants and workers. He had fought to establish the right of working people, to remove the disparity between the rich and the poor, and to ensure social justice for the oppressed. He would never hanker after political power. He always fought for the oppressed people so that they might gain freedom from exploitation and oppression. He could easily amass vast wealth and build royal palaces in the capital city, but he did never think of it and he never did it.
He was uncompromising and unflinching to any threat of the rulers. He would utter thundering voice “Khamash” to the oppressors, autocrats, and exploiters. He did never bow down his head in the face of any threat or fear from any vested group or any quarter.
Once again, Moulana Bhashani played a most important role at a critical occasion of the nation’s history by raising the consciousness about India’s hegemonic attitude. He was an upright, outspoken, truthful, and courageous man. He always uttered and spoke the truth and upheld the flag of justice. He always protested against injustice and tyranny. Not a leaf stirred, not a voice spoke. The moment was always Maulana Bhashani’s. The contradictions in his politics were part of his character.
To conclude, he was always with the helpless, poor, neglected, and downtrodden and against, the illegal and the falsehood. His legacy continues with the national resistance against India’s other dam projects in the upstream of common rivers. He died on 17 November 1976 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, aged 96, and was masked at Santosh, Tangail. He did never leave the village and the villagers and stayed with them till his last days of life. After his death, he was buried at Santosh, Tangail according to his last desire. Such a man cannot but be honored from the core of heart.
