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Abdul Barkat

Background

Abul Barkat was born at village Babla in Bharatpur Thana of Murshidabad, Bengal (now in India) and migrated to Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) in 1948. Barkat was the son of Shamsuddin.

He passed his matriculation from Talibpur High School in 1945 and passed the intermediate from the Berhampore Krishnath College in 1947, as a student of the University of Calcutta. He came to East Bengal after the partition of India in 1948, and resided at his uncle's house named “Bishnupria Bhaban”. In the same year he got admitted to Dhaka University to study political science. He received his honors in 1951 where he stood fourth in the second class. He was a Masters student of the University of Dhaka.

Events

Abul Barkat was not an active politician but a politically conscious one. On February 21, 1952 he went to Amtala to join the meeting. When police opened fire Barkat was seriously injured and later died at the Dhaka Medical College at about 8 p.m. that day. Later he was buried in the Azimpur Graveyard.

Legacy

Abul Barkat was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2000.

Abdul Jabbar

Background

Jabbar was born on 26 Ashwin of 1326 Bangla at the village of Panchua under the Gaffargaon thana of Mymensingh district. He was the son of Hasan Ali and Safatun Nesa. Although he received his primary education in the local educational institution called pathsala (Dhopaghat Krishibazar Primary School), he failed to continue his education owing to poverty. Besides, he had to help his father with agriculture. But Jabbar was not satisfied, and he left home to seek his fortune. He went to Narayanganj by train and met an Englishman who helped him to get a job in Burma (currently Myanmar). He returned home after twelve years of service in Burma.

On his return from Myanmar, Jabbar organized a village defense group with boys from the neighborhood and led the group as its commander. In 1949 he married Amina Khatun, one of his friends’ sister and settled down. One and a half year after the marriage, Amina had a baby boy, who was named Nurul Islam Badol.

Events

A night before the historical incident of February 21, Jabbar came to Dhaka to get his mother-in-law, a cancer patient, admitted into theDhaka Medical College. On February 21, the huge procession and agitation of the students for the language movement made Jabbar interested to join them. Thus he participated in one of the rallies in which police opened fire. Abdul Jabbar was severely hurt by a bullet and was later admitted into Dhaka Medical College. He fought with death for a day and died in the following night.

Legacy

He was awarded Ekushey Padak, the highest state level recognition in Bangladesh, in the year 2000 after UNESCO announced February 21 as the International Mother Language Day.

Shafiur Rahman

BACKGROUND

Shafiur Rahman (Bengali: শফিউর রহমান) (24 January 1918 – 22 February 1952) is considered in Bangladesh to be a martyr of thelanguage movement which took place in the former East Pakistan. Shafiur Rahman was born in Konnagar, in Hoogli, West Bengal. His father was Hakim Mahbubur Rahman. He took his I. Com from the Government Commercial College of Kolkata. After the partition of India he came to East Bengal with his wife Aquila Khatoon and his daughter Asfia Khatoon and other members of the family, taking a job in the accounts section of the Dhaka High Court.

EVENTS

On 22 February 1952 while commuting to his job on his bicycle he entered Nawabpur Street, which was full of protesters against police shootings the previous day at a language movement rally. Rahman was shot in the back by a Pakistani Police bullet, and died after being taken to Dhaka Medical College. The authorities tried to bury his body as unidentified person, but later his family members managed to secure his body & he was buried by the in the middle of the night by students of Dhaka Medical College, led by his brother who was a student of Medical College back then, at the Azimpur Graveyard near the grave of Abul Barkat, who had been shot by police the previous day.[1]

Two days after the incident, the First Shaheed Minar was inaugurated by his Father, Hakim Mahbubur Rahman along with the protesting students of Dhaka University.

LEGACY

In 2005 Rahman was awarded Ekushey Padak, 

Rafiquddin Ahmed

Background

Rafiq Uddin Ahmed was born at Paril village in Singair Upazila in Manikganj District. His father was the patron of the Manikganj Commercial College. He passed his matriculation from Baira School in 1949. He became a student of the Intermediate Class of Devendra College. But he discontinued his studies and moved to Dhaka where he worked in his father's commercial printing business. In Dhaka he admitted himself in Jagannath University (Jagannath College) .

Events

Rafiq Uddin Ahmed was active in the student strike on February 21, 1952 denying Section 144 at Dhaka University. When police opened fire at the Dhaka Medical Collegepremises, Rafiq was shot in the head and died immediately.[1] He is probably the first martyr of the language movement and was later buried at Azimpur Graveyard by the Army. His grave, though, was lost and could not be identified later.

Legacy

He was awarded Ekushey Padak posthumously in the year 2000 for his sacrifice.

Abdus Salam

Background

He was born in Luxmipur village of Feni District. Salam was the son of Mohd Fajil Miah. He was serving as a peon in the Department of Industries of the government.His residence was at a living quarter of Nilkhet Barrack in Dhaka numbered as 36B.

Events

On February 21, 1952 the students denied Section 144 and broke out in an agitation at Dhaka Medical College to make Bangla one of the state language of Pakistan, Salam took part in that procession and was shot by the police. He was then taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and were treated over a month there. But he failed to recover and died on April 7, 1952.

Legacy

He was awarded Ekushey Padak in February 2000.