Nation pays respect to 'Bhasha Matin'

His body was taken to the Dhaka Medical College morgue on Thursday afternoon where it was donated for medical students, after being kept at the central Shaheed Minar.

At that historic spot at Amtola, police on Feb 21, 1951, had sprayed bullets on activists in a rally demanding Bangla as a national language of then Pakistan.

Mourners on foot escorted the flower-adorned hearse to the national monument dedicated to Language Martyrs, where politicians, cultural activists and ordinary citizens were seen waiting for its arrival.

The leftist leader also donated his eyes. Volunteer organisation Shandhani collected his corneas at the morgue.

The first wreath on his coffin was placed by representatives of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), followed by Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, Awami League presidium member Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin and joint general secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak.

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Mujahidul Islam Selim paid his respects to the veteran accompanied by other leaders of the party.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSaD) General Secretary Sharif Nurul Islam Ambia and MP Shirin Akhter placed flowers on his coffin.

Leaders of the Ganasanghati Andolan, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Chhatra Moitry, Biplobi Chhatra Moitry and the Chhatra Front led by Junaid Saki were present.

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique also paid tribute.

Prosecutors from the International Crimes Tribunal, led by Golam Arif Tipu, placed flowers along with various social and cultural groups. Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman, Barrister Rafique-ul Haque also paid their last respect.

Born on Dec 3, 1926 in Dhublia village under Sirajganj’s Chouhali Upazila, Matin joined Dhaka University in 1945. He came to be known as ‘Bhasha Matin’ (language warrior Matin) for his role as the convenor of the all-party state language movement committee. He played an active role in forming the Chhatra Union after the Language Movement, and became its president. He then got involved in the communist movement. Matin was appointed the secretary of the Communist Party’s Pabna district unit in 1954, but joined Maulana Bhasani’s NAP three years later. He formed the ‘East Pakistan Communist Party’ a year later. In 1992, he took an active part in forming the Workers Party of Bangladesh and resigned in 2006.