Jahangir, Borhan Uddin Khan

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Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir

Jahangir, Borhan Uddin Khan (1936-2020) eminent educationist, political and social scientist, writer, essayist, poet, literature, art critic and Bhasa Sainik [language combatant]. Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir (known as BK Jahangir among the academics) was born on 9 January 1936 at village Gulbahar in Kachua upazila under Chandpur sub-division (currently district) in Tippera district. His father’s name was Ashek Ali Khan and mother was Sultana Begum. He passed his Matriculation from Dhaka Government Muslim High School in 1950 and Intermediate from Dhaka College in 1952. He secured BA (Honours) in Political Science from Dhaka University in 1955 and Masters in 1956 from the same University. He then went to England and obtained PhD degree from Durham University in 1974. The title of his PhD dissertation was, ‘Differentiation, Polarisation and Confrontation in Rural Bangladesh’.

Jahangir started his career as a Lecturer in Sociology, later on joined Political Science, University of Dhaka. He served the Department as Chairman during 1992-1995. He was the founder Director of Centre for Social Studies, University of Dhaka. He also served as Pro-Vice Chancellor of National University Bangladesh during 1997-2000. He is the author of many books, monographs and articles published at home and abroad. He edited two Journals titled Samaj Nirikhhon (in Bengali) and Journal of Social Studies until his death. His major works included Rural Society, Power Structure and Class Practice (1972), Contemporary Painters: Bangladesh (1974), Differentiation, Polarisation and Confrontation in Rural Bangladesh (1979), Problematics of Nationalism in Bangladesh (1986), Violence and Consent in a Peasant Economy and Other Essays (1990), The Quest of Zainul Abedin (2000), etc. Besides Political Science, he had interest in anthropology. He loved poetry and himself wrote books on poems. It may be mentioned that he took active part in the second phase of Bengalis’ language movement in 1952, when he was a college student. He contributed a poem in Hasan Hafizur Rahman (ed.), Ekushey February (in Bengali), being the first book (March 1953) on the language martyrs.

During 1971 War of Liberation, Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir brought out a literature entitled Swadhinata [in Bengali] from Pakistani army occupied inside Bangladesh, taking upon himself every risk, to promote the cause of independence, while inspiring the Freedom Fighters. He was the recipient of many prestigious awards including ‘Bangla Academy Literature Award’ (1969) and ‘Ekushey Padak’ (2009).

The name of Jahangir’s wife was Nujhat Jahangir. Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir `passed away on 23 March 2020 at the age of 84. He was buried in family graveyard in the village. His wife is also no more. They are survived by one son. [Harun-or-Rashid]