Courage of the common people
Around 11:30am, (on February 21, 1952) police fired tear gas as students started coming out of the university in groups. Initially, we kept a list of those who were coming out as well as those who were arrested. But it was no longer possible after a while as students rushed out in large numbers.
In the morning, a part of the wall between the university and the medical college was demolished. While I and Oli Ahad were leaving Modhur Canteen, we heard shots being fired at the Medical College dormitory compound. The students were shouting through the microphone. We started running and as soon as we reached the medical, we saw the injured students being taken to the emergency room of the hospital.
I stayed at the emergency section of the hospital. Sitting on the lawn I began to cry. I started having doubts about the decision to break Section-144. At that time several university students came to me and said that a leaflet had to be distributed immediately. They added that another leaflet had been drafted, but the convener of the All-party State Language Action Committee, Kazi Golam Mahbub, refused to sign it. I took the draft leaflet from them and met Kazi Golam Mahbub. He was also at the emergency section at that time. He started blaming the communists for all the casualties and refused to sign. I reproached him for his behaviour. After he refused to sign, I, as the convener of the All-Party University State Language Action Committee, signed the leaflet.
Shortly afterwards, it was announced that a ghaibana janaza would be held at the Medical College Hostel compound at 10:00am the next day. That night, Toaha, Oli Ahad, Emadullah and I discussed the janaza in detail. At some point that night, Oli Ahad went to Maulana Bhasani and requested him to lead the janaza prayers. According to Oli Ahad, Maulana agreed. But he was not seen the next morning. We then learned that he had already left for Narsingdi. Oli Ahad became very angry with him. Later Maulana Bhasani told me that he did not confirm Oli Ahad. He left for Narsingdi because he felt that the people in the village areas needed to be informed about the situation in Dhaka.
In my opinion, the events of February 22 were more significant than the events of February 21. I learnt from my personal experience that students were less courageous than common people. If we had to rely only on the students, then there were doubts as to whether there would be a procession on February 22. The procession happened because of the participation of a large number of general people in the ghaibana janaza. A large number of employees of the secretariat participated in the janaza and the procession. Police opened fire on the demonstrators near the High Court gate. But the procession continued spontaneously. Nobody cared about Section 144.
Abdul Matin was the convener of the All-Party University State Language Action Committee during the language movement.
This is an abridged version of Abdul Matin's interview published in Bhasha Andolon Prasanga: Katipay Dalil (Ed. Badruddin Umar, Bangla Academy, 1995.)
Translated by: Shamsuddoza Sajen, The Daily Star.
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