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Last we Forget

Habibullah Bahar: A Politician with a difference

By 8. M. Ali
More than four decades ago. young newspa per reporters In Dhaka. Including myself, had direct access to quite a lew Cabinet Ministers tn the first provincial administration of the erstwhile East Pakistan In out daily rounds of the Secretariat, then still called the Eden Buildings, we would walk along the long corridor and. then, with a little bit to help from his personal secretary, jusl walk Into the room of a minister for a chat, a cup of tea and a story — usually tn that order
This direct access lo ministers filled a vacuum. in the sense that most of the secretaries or even some deputy secretaries of various ministers were from the former Indian Civil Service (ICS). They hailed from West Pakistan, knew little Bangla. spoke crisp English and gen erally discouraged press pub licity. The set-up was tightly controlled by Aziz Ahmed, a formidable, handsome Chief Secretary who. we are told served as a model for many of his successors who. at least In this piece, should remained unidentified.
However, one who should be named now Is not one of the secretaries, but a cabinet minister, a politician with a difference a writer of great distinction and one of the most pleasant human beings most pleasant human beings reporters and occasions to deal with Habibullah Bahar, the first Minister for Health of the then East Pakistan, the position he held with notable success. He retired from politics and, Indeed, from active life tn 1953 when he suffered his first heart stroke. He suffered the second attack In January. 1966 and passed away on April 15. the first of Baishak. 1373. at a relatively young age of 60
On Tuesday, the relatives and admirers of Habibullah Bahar paid tributes to this outstand ing son of Bengal on his 26lh death anniversary, with due solemnity, affection and a bit of nostalgia
It should be relatively easy to pay our tribute to Bahar, the Minister for Health, who carried out his duties with total commitment, with his successful drive against mosquitoes in Dhaka serving as the highlight of his administrative career But this was only a part — perhaps the most enduring part — of his health care pro gramme carried out with Incredible dedication as If nothing else really mattered. A friend once said that if mosquitoes earned malaria for the people of Dhaka they gave Bahar a heart attack
Easy ? But It Is not The late Habibullah Babar was not jusl a dynamic Minister for Health. He was a writer and a newspaper columnist — one of the pioneers In satirical writing which appeared in the Dally Azad of Calcutta under the title "Hing O Halim' — the founder editor of monthly Bangla journal 'Bulbul.' author of books (not to mention numerous articles and short stories) and organiser of literary and socioeconomic societies. But this Is not all.
Believe It or not. Bahar was a top ranking footballer In 1931. he Joined the Mohammedan Sporting Club and became Its captain, the position he held with great distinction.
Somehow, as we go through an anthology of writings on Bahar which Includes tributes to this outstanding man by some of the most eminent perso nalttles of our country. It seems that whatever this man ventured out to do, he did it wtth success. In style and downright honesty. For instance, when he Joined active political life In 1946, he got elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly with one of the highest number of votes obtained by any successful candidate, and then he turned out to be a close associate of Hussain Shahced Suhrwardy and he travelled with Mahtama Gandhi through the riot ravaged parts of Noakhall Having graduated from the Islamia College tn Calcutta in 1928. Habibullah Bahar did Indeed pul in a lot In hts relatively short working life of less than four decades and that too In varied Helds.
Lastly, nothing that one can say or write about Bahar can leave out the reference to hts long abiding friendship with our national poet. Kazi Nazrul Islam. This association, based on their shared values, continued right through the working life of Bahar. Nothing expresses the poet s affection for Bahar — and for Hablbullah's sister Shamsunnahar — better than a short poem he wrote, title. "Bahar O Nahar" at a fairly early stage of thetr friendship. I had read this poem when I was at school, and it was very much tn my mind when 1 first called on Bahar, the Minister for Health, as a reporter. 1 looked upon the big.built man who had received me with a broad smile with a mixture of awe and admiration, wondering if there was anyone else we knew who had been immortalised In a poem by Kazi Nazrul Islam After all these decades, the same feeling — and the same question — are still in my mind
Our regular feature Dhaka Day by Day has been held over for today (Thursday) for reasons of space Editor