Sardar Fazlul Karim passes away

Eminent educationist and philosopher Sardar Fazlul Karim died in the early hours of today at the age of 89.

A former teacher of Dhaka and Jahangirnagar University, Prof Karim had been suffering from old-age complications.

He was admitted at the intensive care unit at the city’s Samorita Hospital last evening.

He breathed his last around 12:45am.

Prof Karim left behind a host of admirers and well-wishers across the country.

Born to a lower middle class family of Barisal in 1925, Karim, an outstanding student and teacher, has been a simple and humble person all his life.

Prof Karim stood second at HSC examinations but topped the first class in both his BA Honours and MA examinations in philosophy from DU. He became a lecturer in 1946 at the age of 21.

Involved in progressive politics as a student, he was an “enemy” of the then Pakistan government and in four phases spent almost the full twenty-four years of Pakistani rule in jail.

Ayub Khan and Monem Khan ensured that he could never return to his teaching job during the Pakistan period.

He had participated in the 58-day hunger strike of political prisoners demanding humane treatment. He was elected a member of Constituent Assembly of Pakistan while in prison.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and late Prof Abdur Razzak brought him back to DU immediately after independence.

A true teacher, philosopher, translator, political activist and an essayist Sardar Fazlul Karim participated in the 58-day hunger strike of political prisoners demanding humane treatment.

He was elected a member of Constituent Assembly of Pakistan while in prison.