Rashidul Hasan was a beloved teacher of English at Dhaka University and a fearless believer in the rights of his people. Born in 1932, he migrated to East Pakistan in 1949 and soon emerged as a principled academic whose voice carried moral authority both inside and beyond the classroom.

Deeply shaken by Muhammad Ali Jinnah's declaration of Urdu as the sole state language, Rashidul Hasan openly warned that the people of East Pakistan would resist. His prediction proved prophetic. An outspoken supporter of student movements and pro-democracy politics, he stood firmly against linguistic and political domination, a stance that made him a marked figure in the eyes of pro-Pakistani collaborators.

The personal logo seal of Rashidul Hasan. Courtesy: Liberation War Museum

A poem from his diary (5 June 1970) captures the depth of his anguish and devotion as the nation struggled to be born:

Ekhon amar desh amar osru jole
Amar desh amar ontore
Amar desh aaj bikkhubdho shagor bondor shob bheshe geche
Jahaj hetha bheshe bheshe fere
Othoba jahaj dube geche
Duburira udhao howeche

The pen used by Rashidul Hasan. Courtesy: Liberation War Museum

In September 1971, he was abducted for the first time. After twelve harrowing days, he was released—an escape that seemed almost miraculous. But the danger had already closed in. On the morning of December 14, Al-Badr men dragged him from his university quarters. Twenty-two days later, his decomposed body was found at the Mirpur killing field, among those of other murdered intellectuals.