Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani
Alternate name(s): Red Mawlana
Date of birth: 1880 (date unknown)
Place of birth: Dhangara, Tangail, British India (now Tangail, Bangladesh)
Date of death: 17 November 1976
Place of death: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Movement: Khilafat movement
Non-cooperation movement
Bengali Language Movement
Bangladesh Liberation War
Farakka Long March
Major
Organization: National Awami Party
Early life
In 1885 Maulana Bhashani was born in Serajganj, presently a district, formerly a subdivision under Pabna. During 1907-09 he received religious education at the Deoband Madrasah. The association of Mahmudul Hasan (Shaikhul Hind) and other famous progressive Islamic thinkers inspired Bhasani against British imperialism. In 1909 he started teaching in a primary school at Kagmaree, Tangail. During 1909-13 he worked with the political extremists. In 1914 he revolted against the Christian missionaries in the Netrakona and Sherpur areas of the then East Bengal.
Political life:
British period
In 1917, Bhashani was inducted into active politics and joined the Nationalist party led by Desbandhu Chittaranjan Das as an activist. Inspired by Maulana Mohammed Ali, he joined the Indian National Congress in 1919. In 1920 he was arrested and imprisoned. After being released, he participated in Khilafat movement. In 1921 he participated in Non-Cooperation movement against the British imperialism under the leadership of Deshbandhu C R Das. He suffered imprisonment for some days at that time. He joined the Muslim League in 1930. In April 1944 he was elected the president of Muslim League at its Barpeta session where after he devoted to Pakistan movement.
Early Pakistan days
After establishment of Pakistan in 1947, through partition of India, Bhashani found his anti-establishment course of action. On July 23, 1949, he founded “East Pakistan Awami Muslim league. Bhasani was elected its president with Shamsul Huq as its General Secretary. On July 24, 1949 he organized the first meeting of Awami League at Armanitola ground of Dhaka.
On 31 January 1952 he formed the “All Party Language movement Committee” at the Dhaka Bar Library. The National Democratic Front was established under his leadership on 4 December 1953. He renamed Awami Muslim League as the Awami League by removing “Muslim” from its official name in the council session of Awami League held on 21-23 October 1953. In 1956 Bhashani carried out Hunger strike in demand of food for the famine affected people from 7 to 23 May.
In course of the famous Kagmaree Conference of Awami League held on 7-8 February, 1957, Bhashani said ‘good bye’ (Assalamu Alaikum) to the West Pakistani authority who was systematically discriminating against East Pakistan. On 24-25 July 1957 Bhashani convened the conference of All Pakistan Democratic Activists. On July 25 he formed the East Pakistan National Awami Party (NAP). Bhashani was elected the President with Mahmudul Huq Osmani, the General Secretary. He organized the Cooperative for the Cultivators of East Pakistan on 2-3 January 1968. He was elected the founder Chairman. On 15 June 1968 Bhashani founded the Cooperative for the Provincial Fish Tradesmen at Dhaka Bar library. On 12 October he was arrested by President General Ayub Khan’s government from the Mirzapur hospital, Tangail.
In 1967 Bhashani protested against the governmental ban against Tagore. In 1969 Bhashani launched movement to withdraw the Agartala Conspiracy Case and for the release of Sheikh Mujib and other co-accused persons. When the war of liberation started on 26 March 1971, Maulana Bhasani went to India. He did not return to Bangladesh until its independence.
