Abdul Jabbar (activist)
Abdul Jabbar | |
|---|---|
আব্দুল জব্বার | |
Language martyr Abdul Jabbar | |
| Born | 11 October 1919 Mymensingh, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 21 February 1952 (aged 32) |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Alma mater | Dhopaghat Krishtobazar Primary School |
| Known for | Demonstrator killed during Bengali Language Movement |
| Spouse | Amina Khatun (m. 1949) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Ekushey Padak (2000) |
| Police career | |
| Allegiance | Bangladesh |
| Branch | Bangladesh Ansar |
| Service years | 1949 — 1952 |
| Rank | Platoon Commander |
Abdul Jabbar (11 October 1919 – 21 February 1952) was a protester who was killed during the Bengali language movement in 1952 that took place in the erstwhile East Pakistan (currently Bangladesh).[1][2] He is considered a martyr in Bangladesh.[2][3]
Background
Abdul Jabbar was born on 11 October 1919 in Pachua under the Gaffargaon, Mymensingh, East Bengal, British Raj. Although he received his primary education in the local educational institution called pathsala (Dhopaghat Krishtobazar Primary School), he failed to continue his education owing to poverty.[1]
Career
Abdul Jabbar worked with his father farming in his village. He decided to travel to the river port town of Narayanganj by train. He got a job in Burma through an Englishman he met in Narayanganj. He worked there for 12 years before going back to Burma.[1] He was recruited in the British Indian Navy during World War Two but was discharged after being injured during training.[2] He was then working as a tailor.[4] He came to Dhaka, East Pakistan in 1952 with his wife for the medical treatment of his mother-in-law in Dhaka Medical College Hospital.[1] In 1949, he joined the Bangladesh Ansar, a paramilitary force of Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan).[5]
Personal life
In 1949, Abdul Jabbar married Amina Khatun, one of his friends' sister and settled down. One and a half year after the marriage, Amina had a baby boy, who was named Nurul Islam Badol.[1]
Events
On 21 February 1952 the students in Dhaka bought a procession demanding Bengali be made a state language defying the Section 144 (curfew) imposed by the police. Abdul Jabbar joined the rally when it reached Dhaka Medical college. Police fired on the rally, injuring Abdul Jabbar. He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College where he died.[1]
Legacy
The government of Bangladesh awarded Abdul Jabbar the Ekushey Padak in 2000.[1] The Bhasa Shaheed Abdul Jabbar Ansar-VDP School & College school operated by Ansar and Village Defense Party in named after him.[6][7] Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall, a dorm of Jahangirnagar University is also named after him and fellow language activist Rafiq Uddin Ahmed.[8]
Gallery
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir, eds. (2012). "Jabbar, Abdul". Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ a b c "Little has been done to remember my father". The Daily Star. 2008-02-11. Archived from the original on 2023-07-16. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
- ^ "Nation pays tributes to language movement martyrs". The Daily Star. 2017-02-21. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
- ^ "Bangla earned thru' blood". The Daily Star. 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
- ^ ভাষা শহীদ আনসার প্লাটুন কমান্ডার আব্দুল জব্বারের প্রতি আনসার ও গ্রাম প্রতিরক্ষা বাহিনীর পক্ষ হতে বিনম্র শ্রদ্ধা. চেতনা ২৪ নিউজ. 2025-02-21. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ "Ansar-VDP: Vasha Shaheed Abdul Jabber School and College". The Guardian. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
- ^ "School kabaddi". The Daily Star. 2009-07-23. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
- ^ "Arms found in JU, 3 BCL men held". bdnews24.com. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
External links
- Media related to Abdul Jabbar (activist) at Wikimedia Commons