Ahmed Sofa was voice for the deprived

Speakers at a memorial lecture yesterday commemorated Ahmed Sofa as one of the most distinct of intellectual voices in post-liberation Bangladesh who strongly voiced the concerns of underprivileged people.
One speaker quoted Sofa, once asked to say something about himself, as saying, “My forefathers had been directly involved with agriculture. I feel proud to be a part of them. I want poor farmers and labourers to eat rice and sing in a jovial mood.”
Ahmed Sofa Rastroshobha along with Centre for Asian Art and Culture organised the 10th Ahmed Sofa Memorial Lecture at the business studies conference hall in Dhaka University.
Institute of Modern Language Director Prof Monsur Musa delivered the lecture, “Linguist Munier Choudhury”.
Prof Monsur said linguist Munier dealt with the question over mother language in a very pragmatic manner while describing it through political discourses.
He also described Prof Munier's charismatic pedagogy as a renowned teacher.
Earlier, the audience stood up observing a minute's silence in honour of recently deceased litterateur Humayun Ahmed and later Prof Monsur read out a tributary précis Humayun wrote on Ahmed Sofa.
Prof Salimullah Khan stated that Ahmed Sofa was the last legendary litterateur of Bangalee Muslim legatee after Mir Mosharraf Hossain and Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Mohammed Nurul Islam, Prof Piash Karim, poet Shams Al Momin, Aminul Islam Bhuiyan and Abu Sayeed Khan also delivered commemorative speeches at the programme.