A TRIBUTE
by Anwar A. Khan
“Death diminishes me because I am involved
in mankind.”- Poet John Donne
At the age of 97, Professor Muzaffar Ahmed, president of Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) and a close friend of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman passed away at a city hospital on 12 August 2019. Taking care of people is the duty of every politician and that was his core belief. He did so throughout his political life. Like the words of famed English poet Donne, I feel his death has diminished me to a great extent because I also belong to humankind. In fact, he was a politician of high integrity which we do not find in the present day times.
A general view about politicians is that they never keep up their promises or offer false promises that cannot be fulfilled and yet people continue to support them. This is a very surprising fact, even to the politicians that they are the same all over. They promise to build bridge even where there is no river. Very few who are very true and non- corrupt political leaders but in the process of fighting with the mainstream politicians, they fail to be victorious and hence fade away. So, it is an uphill task to find a sincere and selfless politician. Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.
No leader sets out to be a leader. People set out to live their lives, expressing themselves fully. When that expression is of value, they become leaders. So, the point is not to become a leader. To Prof Ahmed, the point was to become himself, to use himself completely – all his skills, gifts and energies in order to make his vision manifest. He had withheld nothing. He had, in sum, become the person he started out to be, and to enjoy the process of becoming a dedicated leader to the just cause of people of this land - Bangladesh.
But Professor Muzaffar Ahmed was always an idealistic politician. During the Care-taker Government led by Fakhruddin-Moeen Uddin, Dr. Kamal Hossain and a like-minded small group of people met this high moral character elderly politician to seek his support and blessings to implement the infamous Minus Two Formula but he categorically turned down their proposal and said to Dr. Kamal Hossain, “I lead a very simple life; eat very simple dal-bhat and do not believe in any sort of conspiracy politics” and thus he bade them a harsh good-bye. This is what Professor Muzaffar Ahmed, President of Bangladesh National Awami Party.
He is one the few great and aged noble politicians that Bangladesh has ever produced. This nonagenarian patriot politician was seriously ill for a long time struggling for life and death. We have become so much dwarf and miser that there is no news item on this having or showing or indicative of high or elevated character politician in our important national Dailies. When I read the news item of his hospitalisation in a less popular Newspaper, I became so emotional that tears brought to my eyes although I do not do politics. Because he worked tirelessly throughout his life to bring about the welfare of people of this country with all his might without taking anything from anybody.
Professor Muzaffar Ahmed was the lone alive Advisor to the exiled Mujibnagar Government of our glorious Liberation War in 1971. From our great Language Movement in 1952 to our struggle for freedom to achieve Bangladesh and afterwards, all people’s welfare oriented movements, his contributions are worthy of notice.
He was born on April 14, 1922 in Dewibddar P.S. under Comilla District. He was a brilliant student of the Economics Department of University of Dhaka and obtained M.A. with B.A. (Hons.) in Economics with distinction. He was a teacher in the Economics Department of Dhaka University in 1952-54.
A real man will stand by your side no matter what! He won't leave you when the going gets hard, he'll stay and protect your heart. Finding a man or a politician is easy; finding a real man or a politician, that's worth keeping, is the hard part. The best way to have a good life is to have a good heart. A true politician doesn't promise, he commits. And Professor Muzaffar Ahmed is a great politician of commitment to the cause of the people’s welfare and democracy.
As a matter of fact, Professor Muzaffar Ahmed started his political career in 1937 while he was a student. In 1958, Pakistan’s military dictator president Ayub Khan issued arrest warrant against him. From hide-out, he organised movements against President Ayub Khan. He came into open politics after eight years of hide-outs. He became the Joint Secretary of the un-divided Pakistan NAP. In 1967, he became the President of the-then East Pakistan NAP. He played a leading role in the movement of 1969 for the downfall of dictator President Ayub for which he was put behind the bar. He attended the Round-Table Conference in Rawalpindi in 1969 summoned by Ayub Khan as a leading political figure from the former East Pakistan along with our country;s Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
We strongly believe that Professor Muzaffar Ahmed loves the dictum of Dalai Lama “Be a good human being, a warm-hearted affectionate person. That is my fundamental belief. Having a sense of caring, a feeling of compassion will bring happiness of peace of mind to oneself and automatically create a positive atmosphere” and he is endowed with these rare qualities of a noble human being and politician.
During our War of Independence in 1971, he was one of the key figures of principal Bengali leadership to attain Bangladesh from the cruel clutches of Pakistan’s Army. To garner support for our liberation struggle, he toured many countries during that time. At that time, he also represented the exiled Mujibnagar Government at UNO. His role to organise about 20,000 freedom fighters under his able leadership to fight the Pakistani Army in 1971 in order to gain Bangladesh is unforgettable.
He authored a few books of immense importance for the political students and politicians. In 1979, he was elected the Member of Parliament. He established an organisation under the name and style of “Social Science Council” in Madanpur under Narayangong District which is aimed at creating patriotic political workers.
Professor Muzaffar Ahmed was the last present day solitary senior most honest and idealistic politician of Bangladesh; and he was so ill and lying on the hospital bed before his death. I feel very saddened to have heard of passing this noble politician whose only thought was to improve the lot of the mass people.
Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flow charts. It is about one life influencing another. And he worked tirelessly in that direction. Remove all fear and doubt from his heart by the power of his true spirit, and may you, Allah, be glorified through his life.
Standing above others in quality or position, Professor Muzaffar Ahmed was at a great altitude. According to Harry Hamlin, “If you see a good person or a politician with admirable qualities, try to adapt those qualities to yourself” and Professor Muzaffar Ahmed was such a great man; a great politician whom to be adored. During the peak time of our glorious Liberation War, sometimes in October, 1971, when asked, he said to a foreign journalist: “Watch if you like. But what am I? I am only making a modest contribution to the struggle of my people. I do not overestimate myself.” So, he is very simple but at the same time, he is also extra-ordinary for his life-long relentless services to his people. He alone could not change the world, but he could cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.
Seth Godin said, “The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.” During his political life, he tried his best to change the lot of our people. He was the mark of a great man who knew when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones. He was a leader who was a dealer in hope. I think he is someone who is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. Dear Professor Muzaffar Ahmed, we salute you for the noble deeds that you carried through your whole life for our people.
-The End –
The writer is a senior citizen of Bangladesh, writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs.
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