Shikha

Shikha the mouthpiece of the muslim sahitya-samaj or literary society founded in Dhaka in 1926. Professor Abul Husain of the Department of Economics and Commerce of the university of dhaka was the editor of its first issue (April 1927). It had 144 pages and was priced half a rupee. The journal was published from the Salimullah Muslim Hall by Abdul Qadir on behalf of the Muslim Sahitya-Samaj and printed by Munshi Ahmed Ali from the Islamia Press at Sat Rauza (Dhaka). Only five issues of the Shikha were published. The second and third issues were edited by Qazi Motahar Husain and were published in October 1928 and 1929 respectively. The fourth and fifth issues were edited respectively by Muhammad Abdur Rashid and abul fazl and published in 1930 and 1931. The last four issues were published by Syed Imamul Hossain from the Modern Library of Nawabpur (Dhaka). These were priced respectively half a rupee, one rupee, half a rupee and three quarters of a rupee.

Shikha was totally different from other contemporary periodicals. It drew due attention of the intellectuals with its very first issue. As it contained reports on the year-long activities of the Muslim Sahitya-Samaj, it naturally attracted the keen interest of its readers. The mast of every issue of the journal carried this slogan: 'Where knowledge is limited, intellect is inert, freedom is impossible.' This slogan was regarded by the journal's writers as their motto or guiding principle.

Although the Muslim Sahitya-Samaj carried on its activities for ten years its journal could not be published for more than five issues, primarily because of departure of Abul Husain from Dhaka in March 1932. Whoever may have been editing it, the overall responsibility of its publication rested with him. Syed Imamul Husain who published all but the first issue was his younger brother. Abul Husain was also the founder of the Modern Library that published the journal. He used to bear a major share of the cost of the journal. Although Shikha was the mouthpiece of the Muslim Sahitya-Samaj, Abul Husain was its main mentor and promoter. [Khondkar Sirajul Haque]