The seized leaflet
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During the Language Movement in 1952, I was not a member of the Communist Party. I was a member of Youth League, and as a member of the organisation I worked in close collaboration with the Communist Party. Shahidullah Kaiser used to contact the students on behalf of the Communist Party. I had a contact with him.
I was present at the meeting of the All-Party State Language Action Committee held on February 20 at the Awami Muslim League office in Nawabpur. Seeing no possibility of taking any decision in favour of violating section 144, I left the office. I was not present during the voting.
Later, we went to SM Hall and informed students about the decision of the committee. Students asked us to inform the committee they would not abide by the decision.
Next day, the meeting had started already when Mawla and I arrived at the meeting place. During the actual firing, Oli Ahad, Matin and I were all inside Modhur Canteen. From there, we ran through the medical college and arrived at the shed-12.
At that time there was a press called Capital Press in front of Dhaka Central Jail. Mohammad Shafi Khan was the owner. I had an acquaintance with him. He was not involved in politics. During the Language Movement, he helped us a lot by printing leaflets for free.
I don't remember the exact date, may be on the 25th or 26the of February we were holding a meeting at the medical college hostel. Police suddenly arrived there. Although they surrounded almost all sides, they were not present on the side of the nurses' quarters. Toaha, Oli Ahad and I entered the nurses' quarters. The nurses provided shelter to us.
At that time a leaflet was to be printed about the background of the movement. I wrote the leaflet. While it was being printed in the Capital Press, Shafi Khan came and informed that the police were coming. I left the press immediately. Later, when I was arrested, the manuscript of the leaflet was produced by the police. However, the handwriting was not mine. It was my wife's handwriting. We were not married yet. But I used to take her help in copying such things.
Mahbub Jamal Zahedi was the joint secretary of SM Hall Union during the Language Movement
Source: This is an abridged version of Mahbub Jamal Zahedi's interview published in Bhasha Andolon Prasanga: Katipay Dalil (Ed. Badruddin Umar, Bangla Academy, 1995)
Translated by Shamsuddoza Sajen
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