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Abul Mansur Ahmad was a defender of people's rights

Speakers tell discussion marking the litterateur, politician and journalist's 39th death anniversary

Staff Correspondent
Abul Mansur Ahmad was one of the most prominent figures who upheld the rights of the Bengali Muslims in the then undivided India, said speakers yesterday at a discussion on the occasion of the litterateur, politician and journalist's 39th death anniversary.
Terming him a great proponent of cultural and linguistic rights, they said Abul Mansur Ahmad fought for the rights of common people.
A contemporary and a friend of Kazi Nazrul Islam, Abul Mansur Ahmad wrote and spoke for the recognition of the spoken language of ordinary people as part of the literature of the contemporary period, they added.
The discussion, titled "Abul Mansur Ahmader Khojey: Buddhadeb Basur Sathe Tarker Sutra Dhore" (In search of Abul Mansur Ahmad: In regards to debates with Buddhadeb Basu), was presided over by Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman.
Abul Mansur Ahmad Smriti Parishad and Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation, in association with Reading Club Trust, organised the discussion in Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium of social
science faculty building at Dhaka University.
It was held in the Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium of social science faculty building at Dhaka University.
In his keynote paper, DU Associate Professor of Bangla Mohammad Azam focused on a debate between famous Bengali litterateur Buddhadeb Basu and Abul Mansur Ahmad in 1942.
This debate brought out in stark contrast the differences of opinion between writers belonging to the two communities.
Prof Azam brought out the distinctive feature of Abul Mansur Ahmad's works, saying that his cultural identity formed the fundamental basis of all his works.
Abul Mansur Ahmad believed that in order to flourish, a nation must have a literature based on the spoken language of the ordinary people.
Any ivory tower approach to literature and culture can produce an advanced elite class, but it will not lead to the emancipation of the masses.
Associate Professor Azam strongly advocated for the culture of dialogue in the arena of intellectual advancement.
He said Abul Mansur Ahmad wrote very clearly about his fundamental beliefs that need to be discussed objectively and scientifically without any prejudice.
Azam quoted Prof Jatin Sarkar who termed Abul Mansur Ahmad a pragmatist.
He said in all Abul Mansur Ahmad's works in politics, journalism and literature, he defended the rights of people.
Abul Mansur Ahmad declared himself a secular democratic, which he maintained in all his works. Throughout his life, he believed in secularism and democracy.
Though a supporter of Pakistan movement, he was one of the earlier proponents of Bangla being the national language of East Bengal.
Prof Azam advocated greater understanding of Abul Mansur Ahmad's works.
Writer Morshed Shafiul Hasan said Abul Mansur Ahmad in his writings carefully countered Buddhadeb Basu to establish
Bengali people's right to their language.
He gave a priority to the distinctiveness of the then East Bengal in literature, said Shafiul.
Professor Hayat Mahmud said Abul Mansur Ahmad used to write in Bangla magnificently.
Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman during his speech said Abul Mansur Ahmad was one of the outstanding thinkers of his time who strongly believed that cultural identity of a people is a fundamental prerequisite for their advancement.
Urging for a better understanding of Abul Mansur Ahmad's writings, he said Abul Mansur through his writings, political works and journalism upheld the rights of Bengali Muslims.
He was a strong proponent of Bangla as a national language and also an advocate of secularism and democracy, Prof Anisuzzaman also said.