ABDUL GAFFAR CHOUDHURY - 1057
IQ
: Its 4th of June 2011, I am speaking with Mr. Abdul Gaffar Choudhury in his
residence in Edwar Middlesex. Mr. Choudhury could you start, by telling us little bit about your place
of birth and when you were born.
AG
: My place of Birth is Borishal, the village of Borishal and it is 12th December 1934,
place of Birth I have already told you and the time is this.
IQ
: and If I may jump to 1952 from this I mean your song “Amar Bhai krisher amar bhai
er rokte rangano” in 21st February’s probably most widely sung songs composed by you so could you
please tell little bit about the time in between of your bringing up in Borishal and then your time in
Dhaka what were happening in those times?
AG
: I was born in a political family, my father was the District president, President of
District Congress and District 1.31 I was born in a political family my father his name was Wahid Raza
Choudhury. He was a nationalist Muslim of early liberated India that means he was a Congressi
Muslim, he was president of District Congress and district Kkhilafat Committee plus he was placed by
British Government so naturally I was born but of in a political atmosphere Ok, and that was based
on anti colonial and anti communalism so that was and it was a pleasure for me to support the
Bengali Language. In 1948 when the State Language movement started in East Pakistan I was in jail
for a day with the Language movement workers in Borishal then I came to Dhaka after passing my
matriculation exam which is now SSC and then I went in the Dhaka College as a student In my college
I was the representative of the action committee and In 1952 I was present in Dhaka university in
the compound of Dhaka university for a meeting by Gazi ul Haq where to take a decision to break
144 after the firing
IQ
: what was the Date that the meeting took place?
AG
: 21st February in 1952, after the firing I went along with my some friend’s one of
them is Professor Abdul Islam he is I think now a Nazrul expert and a researcher
IQ
: tale apni continue koren
AG
: Ok bear with me acha, then Professor Abdul islam he was then a student he was
with me he went to Dhaka medical College and there I saw a body and the body was of Lakishpur
Islam his name was Rafiq, I think he was Rafiq he was dead and after seeing that dead body one
rhyme came to my mind he looks like my brother eta “amar bahier rokte ranagno kishorer sorir “.
Bloodstained is my brother then I wrote a long poem that was given tune by first Abdul ratif
renowned singer then Altaf Mohammad then it was accepted as the song of Prabhat feri it was
Prabhat feri you know on 21st February it was sung in Prabhat feri
IQ
: right, the morning procession
AG
: the morning procession gradually it becomes a popular song each time it was the
credit of mine is a credit of Altaf Mohammad his tune you know he was murdered by Pakistani army
in 1971
IQ
: If I take you
ABDUL GAFFAR CHOUDHURY - 1058
IQ
: If I take you little back in the 40’s I am not sure if you remember all the things
much was there any tension in Borishal because of father was against the tide you know in a way
Muslim doing Congress politics, do you remember anything from the Political scenario in those times
just before partition?
AG
: yeah I remember the August 42 movement you know I was a very little child at
that time but because of the political atmosphere in the family I was a bit “echore paka”. You know
“ehore paka” what is that in English I mean earlier
IQ
: yes premature
AG
: yeah premature adulthood so I would remember the deterioration of the August
th
movement on 9 August 1942,
IQ
: Borishal
AG
: no, it was All India, All India when was arrested my father also he was suffering
from this rheumatism like me and he was house arrested, so you know at that time and Muslim
league boycotted this movement one of my brother he was the leader of Muslim League and they
started to tell Muslim people you know not to join this movement which is not ours you know at this
moment we were in Pakistan but my father said that Pakistani were ultimately being Missile force
Muslims continue to be divided it is an imperialistic game to divide the country and once country is
divided the 10 crores Muslim out of them only 6 corers will remain in Pakistan and the rest will
remain in India what will be there future so this is not a solution and I also believed that this division
of the country is not the solution for the politicians so probably in my boyhood I was anti colonialism
anti tradition theory and I remember that with my other Hindu friends my school friends I used to go
in the processions against British Raj this we uttered in the slogan Quit India and there was some in
that time also a British party was having this influence they did not support this movement because
their they were collaborating with British Government at that time so there were others a bit who
were anti communist party in Bengal at that time there serving the purpose of Imperialism. This I still
remember then gradually Congress party becomes more powerful and they took align against British
imperialism so I also joined there procession also and there was a popular slogan in “Hindu Muslim
ek awaz, khotom koro British Raj” end the British raj, British empire, once and all Hindu and Muslims
then other things also happened at that time like I remember Rashid Ali day and after the war when
British Government tried to punish those people who go with Subhash Bose and founded other
people at that time their unity became Hindu and Muslim and there was a huge procession in
Calcutta but in our village also 2 -3 miles long the procession I still remember shouting against
British and demanding the release of Rashid Ali and other accused, all these things I still remember,
also I remember how in 1945 – 46 this whole attitude of Muslims, Bengali Muslims turn into pro
Pakistan and anti Congress Huge rejected sera Bangla jude in 1946 elections and Muslim League
gained huge majority and everyone was saying Pakistan Jindabad ladke lenge Pakistan this one was
very popular. Jinnah was almost worshipped as a God and he was his word was final for the say of
Muslims.
IQ
: What was your feeling, at that moment did you feel any change in your mind
things were tight or so
AG
: I did not have sympathy for Muslim people Jinnah because most of my friends
were Hindu students when there was a riot in 1946 they started migrating from village Borishal all
my Hindu friends gradually were leaving and I am not wanting this intellectual level of society did
not like previous time suddenly leaved quote unquote and it went down because of the leaving of
the Hindu middle class educated middle class people, anyway they were middle class there was a
dearth of teachers, lawyers, literature everything there was this influence spreading that I was very
shocked
IQ
: one interesting thing that you just mentioned about your distance from the
communist party in just before the partition did you maintain the distance or with the birth of
Pakistan change anything about your attitude to the Marxist or the..
AG
: actually I am not a Marxist
IQ
: no, I am saying your relationship with the Marxist
AG
: no, I am a Socialist after that when Marxism becomes a dogma then I thought that
this is this is another religion, I did not believe that
IQ
: when did you think that it was becoming a dogma?
AG
: when I was in College when I was entitled to College I used to read lots of writings
of communist party socialist party other writings I used to and I came to that Science which is not a
religion and you must know the science without the change of time but this is not communist, that
they believe in religion whatever you say oh no it is not related to Marxism they refuse it and I
thought that it will hinder the progress of the society like Muslims, Hindu and other religion those
who believe it out mate it so there is no ultimate proof that it is great belief but when communist
party collaborated with British Government although I was very young
IQ
: But when was that?
AG
: In 1942
IQ
: During Quit India movement
AG
: During quit India movement the movement they opposed it
IQ
: which action do you remember?
AG
: that time there was only one action and
IQ
: what was their motivation for the collaboration that the
AG
: that was my great when this war started India declared that this is an imperialist
war so the moment NASA joined, NASA was attacked by Germany they call it people’s war they
published a paper called “Jola Judhho” that was war and then asked people to join National what it
is called National Security force it is called which is by the government and is established by the
National security Front to pick up the Bengali young people to join them and to fight japan and other
states and the Congress party joined that what for I don’t know that peculiar slogans jemon “Saban
kapod chadte hobe”, “Chaie Kapod dhute hobe”, tar pore also British government banned Sugar but
they need Sugar for what it is called soldiers we have tea without Sugar for so many years after I
forget in my childhood you know there was a Sugar we did not know it because there was mostly all
sugar was for British soldiers
IQ
: During the war
AG
: during the war, no soap, and so communist party supported that for British
soldier’s amenities
IQ
: you have to sacrifice
AG
: amenities you have to sacrifice “khabar soda chadte hobe chaie kapod dhute
hobe” tar pore of this name is national war front national war front e jog dite hobe this was a
reverse to me that we are going to actively support not only support because the people’s war
ABDUL GAFFAR CHOUDHURY - 1059
AG
: that’s why we were supporting British Government and with the help of British
Government survived at that time another thing another there was another Marxist party
Revolutionary Socialist Party asked me you are still studying in West Bengal, I was influenced by their
theory they told that by opposing the British Government, by assuming our independence we can
help NASA but if the establishment test of NASA we now support British after the war this British
war will go arrest the Soviet union then we have no plea to tell people that we are now anti British
that we are now collaborator of British that theory attracted me and I subtract to that view and I
become very not very but I became anti colonialist. Another thing which very much disgusted me
that is the supporter in division of India by the communist party that is the division was I wrote a
book I forget the name that “Pakistan and National Unity”
IQ
: Ok from India or I mean
AG
: yes it was published from India in Bengali and then I found that it was very popular
I forget his name
IQ
: not Muzaffar
AG
: not Muzaffar no, no he is a Bengali
IQ
: yes
AG
: at that time communist party was dormant I forget his name then they have
started telling that Pakistan is acceptable that the Division of India on the release basis is acceptable
that is bitter about the Congress party and I joined the strained wing of RSP.
IQ
: RSP for means
AG
: Revolutionary Socialist party
IQ
: Calcutta based
AG
: yes Calcutta Ok, and I was very fond of that theory but gradually after passing
matriculation and after coming to, I was involved in the District language movements cultural
movements I would withdraw because my financial position was not that I had to work and live in
College from 1951 when I joined Dhaka College I need money to join the newspaper for night shift
IQ
: which newspaper
AG
: First “Daily Insaf” then daily “Sangbad” I become worker then I become a journalist
I went to Itefaq azad agarkar and other papers but that time at least anti communist party not
communism was in my mind that they have always after that when the Kashmir dispute arise they
gave a new theory that India is a progressive country and that’s why Kashmir should go to India, I
was very much furious that what is about the right of self individuality of people and that theory and
now you are coming that India is a progressive country then why you supported Pakistan creation of
Pakistan. Another thing when there was a 3.41 in Silet that whether it should go to East Pakistan or
go to India National, when they were supporting it should go to India then I thought that communist
party was a communal party is under the influence of the middle class Hindu communist and they
could not come out from the communal bias and I did not like them but then after wars when the
liberation movement of Bangladesh communist party was divided into Chinese and pro Marshall
basis that time I had sympathy for pro 4.24
IQ
: the Muzaffar and
AG
communist
: Muzaffar and the same communist party and I used to hate this pro Chinese
IQ
: Bhasani
AG
: no, not Bhasani they have used Bhasani in my theory that is pro Chinese that
Bodruddin Amar, Anwar Zahid, Mohammad Toha, and Abdul Haq this group the building that was
anti people, anti nationalism, anti Bangladesh just in the interest of China.
ABDUL GAFFAR CHOUDHURY - 1060
IQ
: so you joined Dhaka College in 1951 and that was the beginning of a turmoil tous
decade in West Pakistan and you must have met a lot your of because you were in newspaper I
mean lots of friends coming from Calcutta, or writers who were based in Calcutta but because of
partition they had to come to so how did you see them settling down and how was their feeling
about the partition? Did you have anything to say about that?
AG
: I have seen before partition I joined Dhaka College not in 1951 I passed 50 early 50
and in later 50 I was in Dhaka College before when I was in Borishal I told you that before partition
all the Districts where the Hindu middle class was prominent there in Borishal in early 1946 in
Borishal, 2 conferences were held one by Eastern Congress and another by Student Communist party
left called something and Tara Shankar Bandopadhaya and Bijaya Lakshmi Pandit sister of Nehru
both came to Borishal as a guest of Eastern Congress provincial conference and ManiK
Bandopadhyay and others Anonto Sen, Ganesh Ghosh those masters they came to communist led
conference. I met them when I was just a school student I had the opportunity to meet them and
talk to them then many friends of that time Jibanando Das was
IQ
: Ok Jibanondo Das was in Borishal
AG
: was in Borishal Professor of New College and Anonto Sen Gupto 2.04 and Anonda
Shankar Rai was the District magistrate
IQ
: Ok so that was star studed in Borishal
AG
: you should understand what…my life when I was just
IQ
: Tapan Rai Choudhary was there at that time or no?
AG
: I do not know but Sudhangsgu Rai Choudhary was there, Tapan Rai Choudhury I
met recently so he is from my District but I have never met before so this way my mental frame
what it is called y mental frame was formed with the meeting and the association of these great
people and all this enriched my life
IQ
: of course
AG
: all the journalists I saw them Satyen Majumdar ,Debanando Mukherjee they came
to Dhaka and I met them, I was very fond of Satyen Majumdar’s writing
IQ
: you are talking about the early Pakistan period
AG
: early Pakistan period
IQ
: so they there was still some or some intellectuals coming in Dhaka in the 50’s?
AG
: It was stopped after the after 54 up to 54 you know that up to 54 the East Pakistan
literary conference there from India about 25 intellectuals came along with Manoj Bose, Subhas
Mukherjee, all these people came they came in 56 in katmari conference of Awami League
IQ
: all these famous
AG
: so the big chunk of India west Bengali intellectuals so there was a give and take
policy and we were not
IQ
: what happened in the 50’s, 54?
AG
: 50..after the military came into Bangladesh after the over throw of the Iftequar
government gradually they tighten up the cultural intercourse between east and west Bengal totally
stopped and they wanted to I call it Berlin Wall it is not by name formed by weak that was total
brought it but still they could not stop the cultural inter change which was not public but which was
going on. There was a attempt to ban Rabindra sangeet people raised it and the title changed our
alphabets people raised it he wanted to pose Urdu people they resisted it I could not survive I think
they could follow a what it is called a policy of collaboration not rigid at least their cultural existence
of Bengali people
ABDUL GAFFAR CHOUDHURY - 1061
IQ
: But by this time also in 1960’s I mean in 1966 the 6 point program was launched
and you were in Dhaka at that time?
AG
: nobody would believe I give the name 6 points
IQ
: really
AG
: yes nobody would really believe it now but so I did not say it but I say to know
when it was adapted I was very close to Bongo Bondhu was very close and I was started believing
after 65 war that East Pakistan is not terrorized with this total different attitude and the Punjabi
military rule so I literary but nobody could dare to say this thing. When Sheikh Abdullah Rahman
adapted this 6 point he was Manager of Alpha Insurance Company in now Bongo Bondhu Avenue
that time it was Inter Avenue
IQ
: who actually drafted those, of course Bongo Bondhu didn’t himself did it, I mean
were there bureaucrats, politicians, do you remember anyone who wrote that?
AG
: I know, he used to sit in of a insurance company it was owned by Harun Isul
Abdullah haq he was a leader he was the General East Pakistani general manger Shaiek Nawazul
Rahman sitting in that office he started thinking about how to make this frame work of 6 point then
he was joined by a civil servant Nozrul Urdus. Urdus how to think those who are not for the love of
Bengal because the seniority was not accepted by whenever a Bengali officer becomes senior they
were dumped in a position somewhere they were not going to it was supposed to be the finest
secretary of Pakistan until he was dumped by the corporation so they were very angry. They were
helping very
IQ
: they were mostly CSP’s
AG
: and some left as they were not rightly in their Department left Narural Ahmad,
Samshul Haq was the ambassador on that point so this was 4 point first then when the civil officers
came they put then like what it is called this ohh they wanted paramaralisia law and for them also
one day etc. one day he was lucky that you brought 2 points both are your interest one military
bureucracy and we have placed no Pakistani homework so you want to put in 6 points and there we
will see this Sheik Mujib wanted what is called a what is called foreign trade and other things and
IQ
: Financial matters
AG
: all the financial issues but these brokers they had para malasyia and other things
so it was made by collaboration of
IQ
: currency there is something, about currency
AG
: currency see it was easily called convertible currency that was Sheik Mujib’s
proposal it is all proposal because he was a Minister he found out that this will not, he told that that
British Government can allow easily convertible Irish currency and Scottish currency why not we
cannot currency we want to have one flag he almost like a confederation these brokers they put
there paramalasia then there would be theand they have also put about civil services or something
so it is the 6 points and at first it was decided that it should be placed before Ayub Khan I was visiting
Dhaka but no other political party leaders they wanted to join Sheikh Mujib because they thought
that Ayub Khan will come out with a solution and they will be in prison so I will alone write it what
may come, I don’t care and he went to Lahore that is in all Party conference he declared Lahore will
mean time I replied that now I face this movement with weapon of language : Astrer bhashai ami
eder domon Korbo” and Sheikh Mujib replied I will face the prison with weapons of movement this
was from both sides so this experience was gradually he was arrested you know.
ABDUL GAFFAR CHOUDHURY - 1062
AG
: in case and ultimately he won the war
IQ
: yeah, one queries is about the part of the Awami League I mean I was thinking if
you could shed light on the positions of Sourabhdi,, Bhasani and there was also Fardul Haq but did
the three of them sit together in any one place or who came first forward to form the party do you
remember anything do you have anything to say?
AG
: yeah after partition there was no opposition everybody was in Sourabhdi was the
leader, secretary was the Muslim students League joint secretary though there was a division in
Muslim chatro league one part headed by Shaahzul Rahman he was the associated with the
nazimuddin group of Muslim League, and another chatro Legaue was headed by Siekh Majib ul
Rahman it was associated with the Sourabhdi group of Muslim League. Muslim League was one
party in undivided Bengal but in the later period it was there was two eta hoche je Muslim League
there was a inner division one was a progressive section led by Sourabhdi and Abul Hasim this father
of Boduruddin Ahmad another Maulana Akram khan and for Jinnah’s and Liaquat ali’s place in 1946
after election where Muslim League have a landslide victory and Sourabhdi was supposed to be the
chief Minister of East Pakistan he was removed from the party leadership, Nazimuddin was thirsted
in the party and the election group of Muslim League took over the power of east Pakistan at that
time Fazrul haq was out of politics so Sourabhdi was not allowed to come to East Pakistan and Abul
Hasim came later on, he was man of West Bengal Bardhaman and after he came to East Pakistan a
week late. In the meantime the Student wing headed by Seikh majib ul Rahman, Nazruddin, Anwar,
Wahid ul Haq, they are left leading Muslim students they form a not official opposition but
opposition group called “ nortantrik kormi andolan ba samagom” Democratic workers association
something like this and they started searching a leader who can led the opposition. That time
Maulana Bhasani came to Assam and Assam to Dhaka and they chose Maulana Bhasani, Maulana
Bhasani accepted and then he returned the and then he fought a on 3rd June Awami League was
formed in Rose garden in Dhaka where Bhasani becomes the first President of East Pakistan Awami
league but Sourabhdi did not join
IQ
: at that time
AG
: at that time with the Awami league
IQ
: neither Fazrul Haq
AG
: no, did not and then Fazrul haq was attorney general of East Pakistan he was doing
a Government job on the other hand Sourabhdi could not enter into East Pakistan, he went to West
Pakistan and he established his what is called this legal practice office in Lahore and his daughter
was in Karachi so he was going between Karachi and Lahore and he established a party called Jinnah
Muslim League with Dulatallah and others but that did not got people’s support the support he had
so that’s hand on Bhasani he joined the Awami league and become the conveyor of All Pakistan
Awami League. This is how the Awami League was started working and naturally on the left force
Congress party was banned and on all the Left force joined the Awami league. Gradually those who
were the old Muslim leaguers and those who were newcomers in Awami league there is a division
one is a Left front of Awami league and one is the Right front of Awami League and gradually right
front was headed by Sourabhdi and the left front was headed by Bhasani and there was a what is
called a hustle between the two leaders
IQ
: it became very clear later on
AG
: in the meantime in 1954 one election came so Fazrul haq came from his self exile
joined again politics he have his party “ Krishok praja on his party” changing a bit name it was
Krishok praja party this time it is “Krishok Sramik Party”, he has his followers in the country so
Bhasani it was not the communist party it was the greatest contribution of the communist party east
Pakistan they unite for them, Bhasani and Sourabhdi to form the joint it was communist party’s
main attempt, even they sacrificed when the 3 leaders said if you can take communist party to our
front and then people would say Muslims would say it is a front of subursive elements it is called
communist party so they wanted to take their party into Front and communist party still accepted
that proposal and gradually you know what happened due to power.
ABDUL GAFFAR CHOUDHURY - 1064
IQ
: so when did you migrate to England and what prompted you to kind of exile ment
or you opted for your career in England?
AG
: you know after independence I was in a very comfortable position in Bangladesh
because I became the Chief editor of a Daily, a national daily and then Bongo Bondhu was very kind
to me though we had some political natural but he did not mind it and I think he started his
autobiography so I took the dictation of that autobiography whenever he went to foreign countries
like non alignment countries non alignment conference I went with him so I was in a very
comfortable position but suddenly my wife becomes sick and doctors said that she will not survive
so I had to some to London for treatment and it was a long treatment she had an operation she
became paralytic half paralysis in wheelchair and Doctors said that you need some long treatment so
for some time I wanted to stay here and then I would go but unfortunately after her operation when
we were actually going to Bangladesh Bongo Bondhu was killed, I came here in 1974 October, and he
died 75 on 15th of August and Jinnah government took a very what it is called antagonized step they
thought that I so that time my passport was on expiry they ordered not to extend it, so British
government was very kind and so they gave me the permission to stay indefinite period here and my
wife’s treatment was going on and I was doing here some odd jobs to survive.
IQ
: but you were contributing to national dailies now
AG
: yeah there was an anti military movement here I joined them and edited 2-3
papers also neither Nijau Rahman nor irshad was trying to now I am here and my son is grown up
here so sometimes I go to Bangladesh and come back.
ABDUL GAFFAR CHOUDHURY - 1065
IQ
: so in 1953 during Famine and war you were in Borishal, could you tell a little bit
about that if you remember anything
AG
: yeah I have seen this human transition in my school also I have seen so many
people was dead they came in search for food and they become dead who were out of stock in that
time famine and actually this famine was created, one of the British writer of India Jwala Prasad
Srivastava he was a member of the viceroy at the cadvisory council he wrote a book bottomless
basket this word was used first by Jwala Prasad Srivastava not by .57. He said that we have so much
food, food grain during the war when to a bottomless basket how now we know that Ta1.09 gave a
order destroy all the boats of east bengal because they thought that Japan will occupy Bengali and
they will use this boat for their supply and they will get the food grains huge food grains and they
will sustain in the war long time so all the boats were destroyed. My mother’s, brother what it is
called in English maternal uncle he owned 10 to 15 boats used only 2-3 boats which is called ‘Kosha”
that is used for passengers but others call what is like very deep what is call you go to deep sea that
is for bringing foods and other essential goods it was commercially and the transport of boats all this
was ceased within a month of war it was destroyed the whole communication destroyed the boats
could not go from one place to another place there was really a crisis and there was suddenly I
remember my father came to my mother and said that you know this country will face famine
because rice per mand will rise from 5 taka to 7 taka that my father was clear that there will be
famine about the price it started there was huge food but it could not go from one place and British
government all has gone to the bottomless basket. After the war all these almost rotten foods were
coming out in the market and there was another crisis people were ill with gastric problem with by
eating rotten food
IQ
: Diarrhea and Cholera
AG
: Diarrhea and Cholera and lots of people 50 lakh people died in the famine and
more than almost same number of people died in this diarrhea and cholera this was created by the
British government and they call it man made famine that I still remember how people had died in
the street there were dead bodies only Jallulddin sketches some of this scene this famine scene
horrible scene.