Ahmed, Mohiuddin1
Ahmed, Mohiuddin1 (1925-1997) activist of Pakistan movement, leader of NAP, BAKSAL, awami league and close associate of Bangabandhu, who went on hunger strike with him during the second phase of the language movement in 1952.
Mohiuddin Ahmed was born on 15 January 1925 in Pirojpur Sub-divisional (now district) town, then under Barisal district. Panna Miah was his nickname. His paternal home was in Gulishakhali under Matbaria upazila. His father’s name was Azharuddin Ahmed and his mother was Nurunnahar Begum. Azharuddin was actively involved in progressive politics, while in personal life was free from all kinds of superstitions. Twice he was elected to Bengal Legislative Council, in 1921 and 1923.
Mohiuddin Ahmed spent his childhood partly in his village and partly in Pirojpur town. His early education started with a pundit of a village patshala (elementary school) located at his home premises. He studied in Gulishakhali Junior Madrasa up to class six. Then he was admitted to Matbaria Latif High School where he completed class seven. In 1937, he went to his elder brother in Calcutta, who was a service holder there. He was admitted to class eight in Government Demonstrative High School in Baligang from where he passed his Matriculation in 1940. He was an Intermediate student, first, of Daulatpur Hindu Academy, Khulna and, next, Allahabad Young Christian College in India for some times. His elder brother MU Ahmed was in Allahabad Young Christian College as a lecturer, while Mohiuddin Ahmed was studying Intermediate there. Finally, in 1942, he passed Intermediate examination in Science group from Krisnanagar College, Calcutta. He obtained his B.Sc. degree from Barisal Brojomohan College (popularly known as BM College) in 1948.
Unlike his other uterine brothers, Mohiuddin Ahmed did not go for government services. He chose the path of politics as his career. Indeed he had a colourful political life. Being influenced by his father, he grew up politically conscious from relatively young age. Like many youths, he was imbued with anti-British feeling yet at that age. He joined in active politics while he was a school student. At one stage, he came to be associated with a student organization of Muslim students named Nikhil Banga Muslim Student League [All Bengal Muslim Student League]. In 1940, he took part in the ‘anti-Holwell Monument’ movement in Calcutta under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. While studying in Barisal Brojomohan College, he simultaneously held the posts of General Secretary of both District Muslim Chhatra League and the district branch of its parent organization, the Muslim League. He played active role in the Muslim League Pakistan movement including the 1946 elections.
Preceding 1947 India’s partition, there were two opposing factions within the Bengal Provincial Muslim League. One group was led by Suhrawardy and Abul Hashim, while the other group by Khwaja Nazimuddin and Maulana Akrum Khan. Mohiuddin Ahmed belonged to the latter group, which continued even after the establishment of Pakistan till 1950. He became the victim of internal feuds of the ruling Muslim League headed by Khwaja Nazimuddin and Nurul Amin, leading him, first, to get expelled from the party to be followed soon by his arrest. During the second phase of the language movement in 1952, he and Bangabandhu stayed together in the same jail, first in Dhaka and next in Faridpur. It may be mentioned that Bangabandhu belonged to the opposite camp in Muslim Student League and Muslim League, ie, Suhrawardy-Abul Hasim’s progressive group. Following his expulsion and arrest, there marked a change of loyalty in Mohiuddin. Both Bangabandhu and Mohiuddin Ahmed shunned their gap coming closer to each other while in jail. From 16 February 1952, both went into hunger strike unto death in Faridpur jail. Bangabandhu was then passing as long as for 26 months in prison. After 11 days of continued hunger strike, he was set free on 27 February. Bangabandhu ended his hunger strike upon his release order by having a sip of coconut juice at the hands of Mohiuddin, whose release was followed by a day after. One may find a detailed narrative of the episode in Bangabandhu’s The Unfinished Memoirs (2012).
After his release from jail, Mohiuddin Ahmed was inclined to left politics. He joined the Ganotantri Dal (Democratic party) founded under the leadership of a legendary peasant leader, namely Haji Mohammad Danesh at a left-minded workers conference in Dhaka held a year preceding the 1954 United Front elections. The Ganotantri Dal was a constituent part of the United Front. Mohiuddin Ahmed was elected to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly as an MPA from this party on United Front ticket. In 1955, he joined Awami League by leaving Ganotantri Dal. In 1957, when Maulana Bhasani, the President of Awami League, left the party and founded a new party named National Awami Party (NAP) by including his leftist supporters, Mohiuddin Ahmed joined this party and was elected one of the Joint Secretaries. With General Ayub Khan’s taking over power in 1958, he was imprisoned in the same year for a long time until the mid-1963. Following the divide in world communist movement in mid-1960s between the former Soviet Union and China, the NAP was also split up into pro-Moscow and pro-Peking and Mohiuddin Ahmed joined the former. He played an active role in the 1971 War of Liberation. He again returned to the fold of Awami League in 1973. He was elected Member of Parliament on Awami League ticket in the elections held in the same year. In 1975, when Bangabandhu introduced bangladesh krishak sramik awami league (BAKSAL) being single national party system as a part of his ‘Second Revolution’ by absorbing most of the pro-liberation parties and personalities including servicemen, Mohiuddin Ahmed was on the 15-member Executive Committee of the party. Following the brutal assassination of bangabandhu sheikh mujibur rahman along with his all family members present in August 1975 at the hands of anti-liberation elements in the army, both in service and retired, Mohiuddin Ahmed played a significant role in reviving and reorganizing Awami League. In the elections held in 1979 during the rule of General Zia, he was elected a Member becoming the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the parliament. He played an important role in the movement against General Ershad’s autocratic rule in the period from 1982-1990. In the course of anti-Ershad movement, there was a split in the Awami League with Mohiuddin Ahmed and Abdur Razzaq forming a separate party under the name of BAKSAL. Mohiuddin Ahmed was elected its President. In 1991, he and Abdur Razzaq returned to Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League along with all party members.
Mohiuddin Ahmed passed away on 12 April 1997, which marked the end of an illustrious political leader of the nation. Rebeca Begum, the wife of Mohiuddin Ahmed, has also expired. They left behind 1 daughter and 2 sons. [Harun-or-Rashid]
Sources Mohiuddin Ahmed, Amar Jibon Amar Rajniti (in Bengali) [My Life My Politics], (Agamee Prakashanee 2002); Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, The Unfinished Memoirs, (UPL 2012); Harun-or-Rashid, Bangabandhur Asamapta Atmajiboni Punorpath (in Bengali)[Bangabandhu’s The Unfinished Memoirs Revisited], (UPL 2013); Harun-or-Rashid, Bangabandhur Dwittiya Biplob: Ki O Keno (in Bengali) [Bangabandhu’s Second Revolution: What and Why], (Bangla Academy 2020).
