Today is the 142nd birthday of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, the undisputed leader of the peasant-working people, the founding president of the Awami Muslim League, the oppressed public leader. He was born on this day in 1880 AD in the village of Dhangara in Sirajganj.
On the occasion of the day, various political, socio-cultural parties and organizations have taken various programs today. These include paying homage to the tomb and portrait of Maulana Bhasani, visiting the grave, reciting Fateha, milad and prayer mahfil, discussion meeting etc.
Although Maulana Bhasani was born in Sirajganj, he spent most of his life in Tangail. He has been involved in politics since adolescence. For a long time he was the president of the then Bengal-Assam Provincial Muslim League.
Maulana Bhasani has been fighting for the rights and interests of the deprived and neglected hard working people all his life. He used to motivate the people to build a strong movement from the side of the people in the national crisis. He had ideological unity and political closeness with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Maulana Bhasani has made a very important contribution in the development of Bengali nationalism.
Maulana Bhasani was one of the main leaders who formed the Jukta Front in the 1954 elections. He played an important role in the movements of 1964, 1965, 1966 and the mass uprising of 1969. When the Great War of Liberation started in 1971, Maulana Bhasani moved to India and became the Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Exile Government of Bangladesh. At a public meeting of the paltan in Dhaka on 2 April 1972, he expressed his uncompromising attitude against smuggling.
Maulana Bhasani has worked for the liberation of workers, peasants and hardworking people all his life. In 1931 he organized a large farmers' conference at Santosh Kagmari, in 1932 at Kawrakhola in Sirajganj and in 1933 at Gaibandha. He is also remembered for his historic long march towards the Farakka Dam in 1976 to protest India's unilateral withdrawal of water.
Maulana Bhasani died on November 17 in 1976 while undergoing treatment at PG Hospital (now Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University) in Dhaka. He was later laid to rest in Tangail.