Living Legend Zainul Haque Sikder An Exceptional Personality Bengali version authored by Badiuzzaman Chowdhury English translation by Munshi Firoz Al Mamun Mustafa Tofayel Mohammad Nurul Huda Translated text edited by Prof. Mohammad Nurul Huda Printed by Maruf Enterprise 372/11, Shahadat Hossain Sharak West Jurain, Shampur, Dhaka-1204. Cell : +880 1842 260913 Published by Prof. Dr. Md. Amanulla Vice Chancellor (Nominated) Z. H. Sikder University of Science & Technology Modhupur, Kartikpur, Bhedergonj, Shariatpur First Published June 2016 Secound Published October 2018 Price Tk. 1500.00 US$ : 18 (Sale Proceeds of this Book will be spent for the education of poor but meritorious students through Mokfor Uddin Foundation) Dedication Late Zarina Sikder, Mother of Zainul Haque Sikder Dedication Late Mokfor Uddin Sikder, Father of Zainul Haque Sikder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Zainul Haque Sikder loved the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the way he respected his parents. A few days after the brutal killing of Bangabandhu along with most of his family members on August l5, 1975, Zainul Haque Sikder organized a Kulkhani at his residence in Dhanmondi. He had several cows sacrificed and distributed food to attendants and prayed for eternal peace and salvation of all the departed souls following the holy tradition of Islam. Protesting against these barbarous killings, Zainul Haque Sikder continued to sleep on the floor instead of a bed for long twelve years. Yet he mourns everyday. Beloved wife Monowara Sikder who has all along inspired her illustrious husband Z. H. Sikder with a smiling face 14 Zainul Haque Sikder Living Legend Couple at their USA residence Zainul Haque Sikder Living Legend 15 Introduction I first met Zainul Haque Sikder at the Safe House of DGFI (Military Intelligence Department) in Dhaka Cantonment. It was March 15, 1976. The country was facing a tumultuous time owing to a series of incidents. On August 15, 1975, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was brutally killed along with most of his family members by a section of disgruntled army officers. It was followed by the killings of four national leaders and close associates of Bangabandhu inside the Dhaka Central Jail. A section of opportunist and delinquent persons plotted against each other for undue rank, post, position and power. Colonel Abu Taher, who went on self retirement from defense service, took a hard line against these follies. As one of the 11 sector commanders, he fought in the Liberation War in 1971. He sustained serious injuries during the fight. Col. Taher with the help of left-leaning Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, orchestrated an armed revolt of the soldiers and freed the then army chief General Ziaur Rahman from captivity in Dhaka Cantonment. After being released, Ziaur Rahman betrayed his savior Taher and other revolutionary soldiers. I was not spared. It casta negative impact on my career as a teacher of Dhaka University. Ziaur Zainul Haque Sikder Living Legend 17 Rahman fished in troubled waters. He emerged as a dictatorial military ruler. I went into hideout to avoid arrest. But DGFI arrested me. I was taken to Safe House of the army intelligence. I met Sikder and his nephew Juba League leader M. A. Reza there. The military regime of Zia launched massive crackdown on the leaders and activists of Awami League, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and freedom fighters. They were arrested for being affiliated with and loyal to Awami League and Bangabandhu. After the black episode in DGFI Safe House, the nation was exposed to many conspiracies, onslaught and killings. Col. Taher faced a camera trial. He was sentenced to death. The verdict was written prior to the sham trial. No prosecution and defence witnesses were testified. And finally Taher was hanged. I along with two of my brothers served jail terms on several occasions. After languishing in jail for five years, I returned to teaching profession at Dhaka University. After a few years, once I attended a meeting of the Academic Council. I came to know that Zainul Haque Sikder donated money for constructing a building of Kuwait-Maitree Hall. I could remember the tumultuous moments of March 1976. I stood up. I said to have known Sikder in a very critical juncture of the country. I depicted his characteristics before all. I labelled him as a brave and freedom-loving man. The teachers were spellbound to hear his tale in pindrop silence. They all applauded Sikder for his courage and generosity. After some years, I was invited by Z. H. Sikder to his medical college at Rayer Bazar. One of my colleagues conveyed the invitation. Sikder sent a car to pick me up. We met each other over three decades later. I went round the medical college. He guided me with great enthusiasm. A medical college exclusively for women was a dream envisaged by Sikder. The dream came true for his relentless hard labour and perseverance. As a Dean of Biological Sciences of Dhaka University I came to know about the reputation of Sikder Medical College in the past. Later, I had the occasion to see it. Sikder spoke about another dream. He wanted to establish a university in Rayer Bazar. He drew my attention to many high- 18 Zainul Haque Sikder Living Legend rise buildings adjacent to the medical college in this regard. There are many universities in the capital. As such, I suggested that a university should be established in a remote area. Sikder gave his consent subject to the condition that I would help implement the project. I gave a nod. My promise was translated into reality. I tried my best to be with him in such a noble venture. I was deeply impressed by his devotion, concentration and dynamic personality. This modern and spectacular institution called the Z. H. Sikder University of Science and Technology was built almost overnight in Shariatpur's remote village Madhupur. The architect was none but Sikder himself. By then I was introduced with his elder son Mamtazul Haque Sikder Manzu. I never saw such a humble and hard working person in the past. I came to know that in 1971, when Bangabandhu's devoted follower Z. H. Sikder participated in the Liberation War, Manzu accompanied his father. At that time both the father and the son lived in a boat in the submerged areas of Shariatpur. The same Manzu again came back from America leaving behind his family and amenities of life to stand beside his illustrious father who had a new dream to create a university for the rural people of the newly-liberated Bangladesh. He was with us when we recruited teachers for the university. We selected scholars who had required qualification, talent as well as commitment to the ideology of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. By then I started calling him `Chacha' (uncle). Our dear Chacha accepted our selection of teaching staff without hesitation. Let me now share some of my personal memories with him. I was nominated as the Chairman of the governing body of the Home Economics College under Dhaka University. It is neither a government nor a privately owned college. This college was established bit by bit by a number of female teachers on their own. I told Chacha that we want to buy a piece of land for this college. He replied that he would donate land. He kept his word. He donated one acre of land to the college including the road inside the Sikder Medical College. When we needed fund to build a web archive on Zainul Haque Sikder Living Legend 19 the Liberation War, he came forward to help us. Then again, when we were making a documentary on Colonel Taher, Chacha was our patron. Now let me share a few things about this book. A few days back an elderly person named Badiuzzaman Chowdhury came to meet me with a manuscript. His hometown was Faridpur. He told me that he was with Chacha during the Liberation War. He spent years together in the world of journalism. He was involved with the newspaper Joy Bangla, first published during the Liberation War. The publication of this paper continued for a few years even after the war was over. He told me that he was working on the biography of Zainul Haque Sikder for some time. I liked the man at the very first sight. He was more than seventy years old. He told me that while visiting the Shariatpur District after almost forty years of the Liberation War, he was amazed to see the contributions of the war veteran Z. H. Sikder. He made special mention of the medical college there. Right at that moment he thought of writing a book on the life and works of Z. H. Sikder. He took this as a responsibility. It is a pity that in most cases we are not interested to evaluate the works of the great scholars during their lifetime. On the contrary, we are prone to highlight their works after their death. Traditions and practices of this kind need to be reversed. So Mr. Chowdhury volunteered to shoulder the responsibility of writing a biography of Z. H. Sikder. Apart from Sikder himself, he talked to many other persons related to his eventful life and works. His manuscript is the consequential culmination of all such interactions. Mr. Chowdhury requested me to go through his manuscript. It was a request that came from none other than Chacha himself. I cordially accepted that. What touched me most was that while writing the book on Z. H. Sikder, Mr. Chowdhury mentioned two other illustrious personalities : Ranada Prashad Shaha from Mirzapur and Zahurul Islam from Kishorgonj.