Mohammadi, The

Mohammadi, The a monthly journal founded by mohammad akram khan. The journal aimed to create a distinctive literature and culture for the Muslims of Bengal, to support the growth of Muslim nationalism based on the two-nation theory of mohammed ali jinnah and, after 1947, and to promote Pakistani ideology. It was first published from Kolkata in August 1903 but folded up after some time. It reappeared in 1927 and continued to appear fairly regularly for the next 20 years. The first issue of its 21st year appeared in Kolkata in November 1947 after the creation of Pakistan. It remained suspended for two years. The second issue appeared in December 1949 from dhaka. Mohammadi continued to be published regularly until 1970.

Reputed Muslim litterateurs and journalists were associated with the editorial department of Mohammadi. For several years after Partition, it was edited by mujibur rahman khan. A few subsequent issues bore the names of Akram Khan and Badrul Anam Khan as editors. Promising writers such as Abdul Gaffar Choudhury, Akhtarul Alam, ANM Golam Mostafa and Muhammad Mahfuzullah worked for it as editorial assistants at different times. It published short stories, poems and articles by both established Muslim writers and new ones, who subsequently benefited from their exposure in the journal. Among the writers who contributed to the journal were sufia kamal, shawkat osman, Talim Husain, Abdul Hye, Abu Zafar Shamsuddin, Habibullah Bahar, Mohammad Akram Khan, abdullah al-muti sharafuddin (1930-1998) Abdul Ghani Hazari, alauddin al azad, Abu Rushd, Jasimuddin, Ashraf Siddiqui and Ferdous Khan.

Mohammadi, which played a significant role in the movement for Pakistan and the right of the Muslims for self-determination, was opposed to Bengali nationalism. Nevertheless, by publishing writers of diverse opinions, it often reflected the hopes and aspirations of the people who emerged in 1971 as citizens of a free Bangladesh. [AHM Shafiqul Mowla]