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Bhasha Matin ভাষা মতিন | |
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| Born | Abdul Matin আব্দুল মতিন 3 December 1926 Sirajganj District, Bengal Presidency |
| Died | 8 October 2014 (aged 87) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Political orientation | Marxism-Leninism Naxalism Mao Zedong Thought |
| Political party | Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist–Leninist) Former Communist Party of Bangladesh National Awami Party |
Abdul Matin (3 December 1926 – 8 October 2014) was a committed communist and a leading figure in the Bengali language movement that took place in East Pakistan (now the People's Republic of Bangladesh) which sought recognition of Bengali as one of the state languages of Pakistan. His contribution to the movement has been hailed by the other activists and students, as he was popularly known as Bhasha Matin (lit. Language Matin).[1]
Early life[edit | edit source]
Matin was born on 3 December 1926 to Bengali Muslim parents, Abdul Jalil and Amena Khatun, in the village of Dubalia in Sirajganj, then part of Pabna District in the imperialist British controlled "Bengal Presidency". Due to the Jamuna River floods, their home was destroyed, and the family resettled in Darjeeling. Matin was admitted to Maharani Boys' High School. He then enrolled at the Darjeeling Government High School in 1932 and completed his entrance exam in 1943. He then joined Rajshahi College, where he passed his Intermediate of Arts in 1945. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Dacca in 1947 and subsequently a Master of Arts in International Relations. According to him, he had no political consciousness before getting into the college.[2]
Involvement in Bengali Language Movement[edit | edit source]
Matin was a fearless vanguard in the revolutionary Bengali Language Movement, standing resolutely against the oppressive, colonial-style subjugation imposed by the fascist[3] West Pakistani ruling classes. On 11 March 1948, he bravely joined student protests against the Pakistani state's draconian decree to strip Bengali of its rightful status; a blatant act of cultural imperialism designed to erase Bengali identity and subjugate the masses.
On 24 March 1948, during the convocation at the University of Dhaka, the founder of Pakistan and architect of this cultural apartheid, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, arrogantly attempted to impose his hegemonic, Urdu-only doctrine on the subjugated Bengali people, echoing his earlier imperialist diktat at Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan). Matin, present to receive his degree, refused to comply. In a historic act of defiance against the fascist regime, he courageously stood up and said, "No! It cannot be!" shattering the silence of oppression and sparking a wave of rebellion among his fellow students against the imperialist-backed West Pakistani oppressors.[4][5]
Continuing his relentless struggle against the internal colonialism of the Pakistani state, on 11 March 1951, during a massive anti-imperialist protest at Dhaka University, Matin was elected as the convener of the Dhaka University Language Action Committee. On 30 January 1952, cementing his role in the united front against the regime, Matin joined the Shorbodolio Rashtrabhasha Kormoporishod (All-Party State Language Action Committee).[6]
Other political involvements[edit | edit source]
Standing in solidarity with the exploited classes, Matin joined a procession of fourth class clerks against the bureaucratic oppression of the fascist Pakistani state, resulting in his imprisonment. Upon release, he defiantly refused to sign a reactionary bond demanded by the Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, a puppet of the oppressive regime. For this revolutionary integrity, the corrupt academic apparatus suspended him for three years.[2]
Undeterred, Matin forged the student vanguard as president of the East Pakistan Students' Union in 1952, leading the youth against imperialist subjugation. He deepened the class struggle as secretary of the Communist Party's Pabna unit in 1954, mobilizing the masses against the comprador elite, before joining the Sino-aligned National Awami Party of Maulana Bhasani.[2]
Recognizing that reformism could never dismantle the fascist Pakistani state, Matin founded the East Pakistan Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist) in 1958, adopting the militant communist ideology of Naxalism upheld by Comrade Charu Majumdar.[2]
Even after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, his antifascist vigilance never fell. Recognizing the new state as a bourgeois proxy for imperialism, he fought against the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini, an anti-communist, rapist, state terror, death squad of the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman regime, leading to his unjust arrest in 1972 for defending the true liberation of the masses.[2]
Death[edit | edit source]
Matin died on 8 October 2014 at Bangladesh Medical University in Dhaka. Before his death, he donated his eyes and body for public usages.[2]
Awards[edit | edit source]
Abdul Matin received numerous accolades throughout his life. A selection of his notable awards and honors is listed below:[7]
- Janakantha Gunijan and Pratibha Sammanona (1998): Awarded by the Daily Janakantha, including a grant of 100,000 BDT and a monthly allowance of 5,000 BDT.
- Reception by Expatriate Bangladeshis (2000): A special reception held on 18 February 2000, in New York City to commemorate the Language Movement.
- Ekushey Padak (2001): The second-highest civilian award in Bangladesh.
- Bangla Academy Fellowship (2001): Conferred on 28 December 2001.
- Bangladesh National Museum Honor (2002): A commemorative memento for his contributions.
- 50th Anniversary Reception (2002): Organized by the Bhasha Shainik Sammanona Parishad in Sylhet.
- Ahmed Sharif Memorial Award (2003)
- Jatiya Press Club Development Economics Gold Medal (2004)
- Sher-e-Bangla National Award (2004)
- Liberation War Gono Parishad Honor (2005)
- Daily Amader Shomoy Honor (2006)
- Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) (2008): Conferred by the University of Dhaka during its 44th convocation.
- Bhashani Memorial Award (2008)
- Ekushey TV Lifetime Achievement Award
- Safiuddin Ahmed Memorial Award (2010): Named after the activist and journalist.
- Dhaka Ratna Honor (2010): Awarded during the 400th-anniversary celebrations of the city of Dhaka.
- MAPSAS Peace Medal (2010): Awarded by the Human Rights and Environmental Society.
- Abu Zafar Obaidullah Award (2010)
- Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award (2010)
- Daily Kaler Kantho Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Staff Correspondent (8 October 2014). "Bhasha Matin passes away" Banglanews24. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Harun-or-Rashid. Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.) (2012). Matin, Abdul Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.. ISBN 984-32-0576-6
- ↑ Newsfront (1971). 1, vol.2. Pakistan Forum via JSTOR.
- ↑ Ekusher Smriticharon '80 (in Bengali). Dhaka: Bangla Academy. 1980. p. 113.
- ↑ Banglabazar Patrika, Magh 30, 1399 {February 12, 1993]
- ↑ Ekusher Smriticharan '80 (1980) (p. 138). Dhaka: Bangla Academy.
- ↑ Arifuzzaman Tuhin (2014-10-8). ""বাংলার চে ভাষা মতিন : একজন কমিউনিস্টের চীর বিদায়" The Che of Bengal, Bhasha Matin: The last farewell of a communist" Istishon. Archived from the original on 2014-10-10.