Haque, Abdul2

Haque, Abdul2 (1920-1995) left politician and leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Bangladesh. Abdul Haque was born on 23 December 1920 at village Khadki in sadar thana of Jessore district. He made himself associated with revolutionary politics in his student life, and became a member of the All India Communist Party. He obtained BA (Hons) degree in Economics in 1941 from Calcutta Presidency College. He was the president of the Bengal provincial committee of theall india students federation, a front organisation of the Communist Party of India (1944-1947).

Abdul Haque gave leadership to the movement for the removal of Holwell monument in Kolkata in 1939. Due to his full time assignment in the party he could not complete his education in the University. Before his final MA examination in Calcutta University he had to participate in the tebhaga movement (1943-44) with the directives of the Party. He had an active role in organising movement against the realisation of tolls (1939-40), Famine resistance movement and Tebhaga movement in Bangaon and Magura areas.

The Pakistan government took repressive measures against the communist activists of the country in 1948. Along with the communist leaders and workers he was arrested for alleged anti-state activities. In 1950, the police opened fire on the revolutionaries on hunger strike at the Khapra ward of Rajshahi central jail, and Abdul Haque was seriously wounded. On his release from jail he contested in the Provincial Assembly elections in 1954 as a nominee of the Communist Party.

After a rift in the East Pakistan Communist Party in 1966 Abdul Haque sided with the Peking group. Due to a controversy between him and Mohammad Toaha on the evaluation of the war of liberation in 1971 the party was again divided. The role of Abdul Haque in the War of Liberation was controversial.

After independence, Abdul Haque was elected general secretary of the party faction led by him. Curiously, even long after the emergence of Bangladesh, the name of his party was East Pakistan Communist Party. In 1978, the party was renamed as Revolutionary Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist). He continued to lead the party as general secretary till his death on 22 December 1995. [Saleh Athar Khan] [Khan, Saleh Athar Department of History, Sylhet Govt. College]