Azim, M Anwarul

Azim, M Anwarul (1931-1971) industrial administrator, martyr intellectual. He was born on 13 December 1931 in Raninagar upazila of Naogaon district. He passed matriculation examination in 1949 from Dinajpur Government Zila School and ISc in 1951 from Dinajpur Surendranath College. He got BA degree in 1953 from Rajshahi Government College. Later he obtained LLB degree and MA in International Relations from Dhaka University.

While a student in Dinajpur, Anwarul Azim established a public library named 'Shakti Pathagar' for the youngsters at Balubari Para of Dinajpur town. He was the secretary of students union of Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall of Dhaka University.

Anwarul Azim began his career as manager of Employment Exchange in Narayanganj. He served in different positions in the then East Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (EPIDC). Later he joined as Labour Officer in Latif Bawani Jute Mill. He got higher training on International Labour Administration in 1965 from Michigan University in USA. On his return from USA he served as Senior Administrator in Narayanganj Dockyard of EPIDC. He served for sometime in Pakistan Army Commission (PASRO) and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He joined as general manager in North Bengal Sugar Mill in late 1968 and continued to serve in the position till the War of Liberation in 1971.

Anwarul Azim was active in helping the freedom fighters and was often found resisting the Pak army in alliance with the freedom fighters. He led the freedom fighters in resisting the Pak army in the Gopalpur Railway station area, in cordoning the Iswardi airport and in the encounter between the Pak army and the freedom fighters at Dhanaidaha. Besides, he helped the freedom fighters to confine and kill Major Raja Aslam of the Pak army at the initial stage of the War of Liberation. Having intelligence of his active participation in the War of Liberation the Pak army along with the local colaborators cordoned the North Bengal Sugar Mill area on 5 May and arrested 51 persons including the officers and staff of the Mill. They were later shot dead on the bank of the pond 'Gopal Sagar' inside the Sugar Mill residential area. Anwarul Azim and 42 other officers and staff of the sugar mill were the victims of the genocide.

In memory of the martyrs the pond 'Gopal Sagar' was renamed as 'Shaheed Sagar'. The Gopalpur railway station was later renamed as Azimnagar in sacred memory of the general manager of Sugar Mill, Lieutenant M Anwarul Azim. The Postal Department of Bangladesh Government issued commemorative postal stamp in the name of Anwarul Azim on the Martyred Intellectual Day on 14 December 1995. [Tania Rubya]