‘Honourable retreat’

On February 21, 1952, a meeting of students began at Amtala (now Dhaka Medical College and Hospital). Gaziul Haque presided over the meeting. Shamsul Huq and Toaha tried to refrain students from breaking Section 144 referring to the decision of the state language action committee. However, students decided unanimously to violate Section 144.

The all-party committee met at the medical college hostel on the evening of February 21 to discuss the situation after the shooting. Among others Oli Ahad, Toaha, Abdul Matin, Golam Maula and Mohammad Sultan were present at the meeting.

Next day, a gayebi janaza (funeral prayer without the dead body) was held. I spoke at the event. After the funeral prayer, a procession was brought out from the medical college hostel compound. When the demonstrators reached in front of Dhaka High Court building, police started lathi-charge. A part of the procession went towards Nawabpur. Police opened fire on them near Bangshal.

On the same day, angry protesters burnt down the office of Morning News.

A meeting of the state language action committee was held at the medical college hostel barrack on February 23. The future course of the language movement was discussed at the meeting. At one stage, Abul Hashim asked me, "Oli Ahad, how far do you want to go?" I replied, "honourable retreat." Our resources were limited. There was already a lull in the protest. It would be unwise to push the movement to such a stage where we wouldn't have any control over it. 

On February 23, some members of the action committee opined that a new committee should be formed to take the movement towards a constitutional direction. Accordingly, Kamruddin Ahmed convened a meeting on the same day and a citizens' committee was formed. This move towards constitutionalism was nothing but an attempt to sabotage the movement.

On March 7, a meeting was called at Dr Mottalib's house located at Shantinagar. Oli Ahad, Toaha, Mirza Golam Hafiz, Mujibul Huq and Hedayet Chowdhury attended the meeting. When we were about to wrap up the meeting police raided the place, and all of us were arrested.

Oli Ahad was a member of the All Party State Language Action Committee during the Language Movement. 

This is an abridged version of Oli Ahad's interview published in Bhasha Andolon Prasanga: Katipay Dalil (Ed. Badruddin Umar, Bangla Academy, 1995.)

Translated by: Shamsuddoza Sajen, The Daily Star.