THE Bangla language movement is the most significant event in our national history. Mahbubul Haque, a memorable figure in our national history, was involved in the language movement from the very beginning.
Mahbubul Haque was an ideal politician, journalist and labour leader. In his 35-year career, he secured a lasting place in our history through his work. He was well-known as a successful parliamentarian. In the Pakistan national assembly, he courageously exposed the exploitation of East Pakistan and boldly predicted that it would one day emerge as an independent state. At the same time, he emphasised the need for the emancipation of ordinary citizens, declaring, ‘I want the freedom of the people along with the freedom of the state’ (Weekly Sainik, November 21, 1948). Throughout his political life, Mahbubul Huq was not an opportunist. Service to humanity was the main mantra of his politics.
He started a new history and a groundbreaking chapter in the trade union movement of railway workers. He was involved in the role of the leader in the struggle for the realisation of the basic rights of the workers. In 1948, when the government laid off workers, he warned against it, saying, ‘Not a single worker should be laid off.’ (Speech given at a workers’ meeting at Pahartali, Chattogram, November 9, 1948)
In 1947, he published a weekly newspaper called ‘Pallibarta’ from Feni. In 1948, he joined the weekly Sainik newspaper and started journalistic writing. He was editor of the daily ‘Purbadesh’ and the managing editor of the Observer Group of Publications. His participation in the national language movement was, however, the greatest achievement of his life.
On December 30, 1947, the National Language Sub-Committee of Tamaddun Majlis was formed, which is known as the first National Language Sangram Parishad. On March 2, 1948, the first All-Party National Language Sangram Parishad was formed. The parishad or the council had 28 members and Shamsul Alam was appointed the convener. At that time, Mahbubul Haque was the general secretary of the East Pakistan Railway Employees’ League. He played a significant role in involving the railway workers in the national language movement. Because of this important contribution, he was elected a member of the All-Party National Language Sangram Parishad.
March 11, 1948 was an important day in the language movement and our history. On March 11, a nationwide general strike was observed, demanding Bangla as the stare language. This was the first strike in East Pakistan. Mahbubul Haque was present in almost every meeting held in preparation for this strike. His greatest contribution was uniting railway workers and bringing them into the movement. Railway services were suspended during the March 11 strike and workers’ resistance prevented vehicles from entering Dhaka. This disruption significantly contributed to the strike’s success, making Mahbubul Haque the hero. The leaders and workers of the East Pakistan Railway Employees’ League were especially active during the strike. Under the leadership of president Maulvi Nurul Huda and general secretary Mahbubul Haque, railway and related services were effectively shut down, ensuring widespread participation in the protest.
On November 14, 1948, the weekly Sainik Patrika was published as the mouthpiece of the language movement. At that time, this newspaper was the most popular newspaper. Sainik Patrika played the role of a fearless soldier in the progress of the language movement. Mahbubul Haque’s role in the promotion, expansion, publication and circulation of the Sainik in demanding Bangla as the state language was undeniable. In this context, the founder of Sainik, principal Abul Kashem, said, ‘With the help of some dedicated and distinguished workers of the Railway Employees’ League, I published the newspaper as a revolutionary mouthpiece at the initiative of Tarmaddun Majlis. Among the few distinguished workers of the Railway Employees’ League who helped me to publish the Sainik, Mahbubul Haque, Abdul Hye and others were notable.’
Shahed Ali, the founding editor of the Sainik, said, ‘The Tamaddun Majlis was the first to teach the people the language of protest. The leaders of the East Pakistan Railway Employees’ League, headed by Mahbubul Haque, were attracted to the role of Tamaddun Majlis. When they were contacted, they came to extend their cooperation to Majlis. It can be said that despite being from different positions, we started working almost simultaneously. In the meantime, Tamaddun Majlis gave birth to a movement to make Bangla the state language of Pakistan. When Tamaddun Majlis decided to start a weekly mouthpiece, Mahbubul Haque, MS Haque and Abdul Hye of the Railway Employees’ League eagerly came forward and said that they would cooperate with us regarding the newspaper and the newspaper would work as the mouthpiece of the Tamaddun Majlis.’ (Mahbubul Haque: Samay O Jiban, p 107)
Language activist and prominent journalist Sanaullah Noori said, ‘Mahbubul Haque was the general secretary of the Railway Employees’ League at that time. Mahbubul Haque was a dedicated worker of the national language movement.’
In the early days of the language movement, some sections in Old Town of Dhaka were opposed to the movement. Through the efforts and leadership of Mahbubul Haque, however, many Urdu-speaking residents of Old Town, particularly railway employees, became active participants in the movement. His role in mobilising these communities through the Railway Employees’ League was instrumental in broadening support for the struggle. Without his efforts to unite the people of Old Town behind the demand for linguistic rights, the course of the language movement might have been different. As a trusted leader of railway workers, Mahbubul Haque personally led protest marches and demonstrations on the street. He championed the cause of Bangla as a state language not only through public activism but also through his writings and official speeches. His dedication helped strengthen the movement and inspire broader public support for the recognition of Bangla.
On November 9, 1948, at a workers’ rally in Pahartali Bazar Maidan in Chattogram, he delivered an important speech as chief guest. He spoke about the realisation of the rights of the Bangla language and strongly criticised and warned the government for creating discrimination. He said, ‘If our statesmen do not learn from the mass revolutions that have occurred in various countries today due to the failure to realise the independence of the people along with the independence of the state, it will be fatal for Pakistan.’ (Weekly Sainik, November 21, 1948)
In an article published in the weekly Sainik on November 21, 1948 regarding the interests of the workers and their mother tongue, he raised seven important issues and demands under the title ‘The neglected people of East Pakistan look up to their beloved Pak Wazir-e-Azam.’ One of these issues was our mother tongue, Bangla. He clearly stated, ‘The mother tongue is being neglected in the centre and the provinces.’ He also mentioned what could happen if our mother tongue was neglected. He called on everyone to make the workers aware of this issue and mentioned that they would take the right decision in this regard. Addressing the government, he said, ‘The worker is no longer an object for sales in the market.’
As the general secretary of the East Pakistan Railway Employees’ League, he played a significant role in organising the movement. On February 21, 1952, the police fired on protesting students in Dhaka. Many students were injured and some died. When the news reached Chattogram, a huge rally was held in Laldighi Maidan the next day. Students of schools and colleges in Chittagong attended the rally in procession. Railway workers led by Mahbubul Haque joined the rally. During the general strike observed in Chattogram in February 23–24, the railway workers, especially he employees of the Pahartali Railway Locomotive Department, joined, causing the railway to come to a standstill. (Bengali’s Nationalist Struggle and Muktijuddhe Chittagong, p 202, Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, Chattogram, March 1993).
Mahbubul Haque was one of Professor Abul Kasem’s associates. They worked together in the language movement. It is undeniable that in the early days of organising the language movement, among those who stood by Professor Abul Kasem ignoring all kinds of intimidation and strengthening this movement with tireless labour and financial assistance, Mahbubul Haque secured the front row. However, language movement veteran Mahbubul Haque did not receive his due recognition. I draw the attention of the authorities concerned to name streets in Dhaka and Chattogram after Mahbubul Haque and to honour him with Ekushey Padak.
MR Mahbub is a language movement researcher. Collected from Mahbubul Haque: Samay O Jiban.
