‘My life is all about writing’

Prof Serajul Islam Choudhury could have died during the Liberation War, but fortune and a little “trickery” saved life of the eminent writer and academician.

After the war had started, the then Pakistan army prepared a list of Bangladeshi intellectuals, who seemed a threat. The erstwhile professor of English at Dhaka University was one of them.

The Pakistan army then collected information and addresses of those personalities. Sensing that something was about to take place, Prof Serajul provided a false address.

In addition, about three months before December 14, 1971 [Martyred Intellectuals Day], he and six other DU teachers -- including Munier Choudhury -- were warned by the Pakistan government, but fortune favoured the professor.

“I somehow survived. Those who gave correct addresses, Pakistan army and their aides took them away from home and murdered them. I might have been dead if I didn’t trick them,” said Prof Serajul.

The emeritus professor of DU shared his story of survival during the Liberation War at a ceremony at DU yesterday. Samaj Rupantar Adhyayan Kendra (Centre for Studies on Social Transformation), a civil society platform, organised the event on the occasion of his 83rd birthday.

The emeritus professor said he saw various types of sufferings of people throughout his life, including the World War II and Liberation War.

“After witnessing those, I felt an urge to write about the sufferings… My life is all about writing,” he said.

Prof Serajul said though universities are supposed to be a place to practice democracy, it did not happen in the country due to political division.

He urged people to change the society for their own sake.