Khan Sarwar Murshid: Unique in many respects

To know him was a privilege and to be taught by him was a good fortune, and working with him as a colleague was simply an added advantage.
Dr. Murshed was a genuine scholar, interested in books--his collection was remarkable. In fact, books have been his passion and he was very interested in influencing his students to feel the curiosity to know, learn and think more.
Over the years I have seen him setting himself up as a role model of a teacher, an intellectual and a nationalist who believed in democracy and wanted state and society to be democratic; guaranteeing equality of opportunity and rights.
I have known him even before I was his student in 1952. This knowledge came to me because of his journal titled New Values which he brought out in 1942, which was quite unique and unexpected during those days.
I used to read it and was heavily influenced by its content.
Khan Sarwar Murshed was its Editor, Publisher and Manager at the same time. The circumstances were not convenient, but he never gave up. He loved his journal and continued to bring it out until 1965.
Professor Murshid's academic interest has been very deep. He was widely read in English and European literatures, and was a devoted student of Bengali literature as well.
Dr. Murshed was a very pleasant speaker. He spoke not thoughtlessly, but carefully. He was never a pedantic, his knowledge was never a burden for him; he carried it with ease and a sense of humour, which was very remarkable indeed!
To hear him speak was always a pleasure.
He was a sort of teacher who would invite his students to have deep discussions on various topics with him. I met him as a student when I entered university in 1952, but he left soon after for his PhD and returned in 1956 when we were in our final year. His thesis was on “The influence of Tagore on W.B Yeats, Aldos Huxley and T.S. Eliot.” He taught us Yeats in our Masters and brought out the philosophical aspect of Yeats' writing without which one cannot study Yeats properly.
Professor Murshid did not write much. He used to write using a pencil because his logic was that one should improve one's writing, and every piece should be meticulous.
He is inimitable in his writing style -- 'Kaler Kantho', which he calls voice of his time, is an important work not only for its substance but also for its writing style.
In 1958, the English Department of the University of Dhaka held nine seminars on contemporary Bengali writing and in each of these seminars he presented an articulated piece.
He wrote vividly on men-women relations in Bengali literature where he wrote with insights, with knowledge and in a very persuasive manner.
Professor Murshid was connected with all the important events of the country in his time. He was the first president of the 'Sangskriti Sangsad' which was a cultural organisation of teachers and students set up in 1949.
He was actively involved with the State Language Movement. Two teachers of Dhaka University--Mozaffar Ahmed Chowdhury and Munir Chowdhury -- were arrested and Professor Murshid's name was also on the list.
The police could not arrest him because they were unable to find him.
He also participated in the protests against the military regime and was one of the leaders of the 'Autonomy of University Movement' where after independence, he played the key role in making the new Act that guaranteed autonomy to universities.
Dr. Murshid and Nurjahan Murshid was a model of partnership as they both supported each other tremendously in their individual work.
Nurjahan Murshid was also involved in politics and was nominated by the united front in 1954 provincial election from the Dhaka-Narayanganj women's constitution, claiming an easy victory. Again, in 1970 election Nurjahan Murshidd participated and won.
Then in the 1971 both of them worked actively for the liberation of Bangladesh. Dr. Murshid became the member of Planning Commission of the Mujib Nagar government. Nurjahan Murshid campaigned in favour of the liberation war all over the India; she even gave a speech in Indian parliament.
After liberation, Professor Murshid continued his service through different roles with patriotism and with great ability.
It is a great loss that he is no more with us but there is a consolation that he has left his impression on many of us. He had inspired us. We had seen in him a role model of a teacher and a committed intellectual.

The writer is an eminent educationist.