DHAKA: Language Movement veteran Abdul Matin, 88, widely honored as ‘Bhasha Matin’ is no more.

He breathed his last on Wednesday morning at city’s Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).

Confirming the matter to banglanews, Matin’s wife Gul Badan Nesa Manika said that Abdul Matin passed away around 9:00am.

He was undergoing treatment since last couple of days there for old age complications.

Life Sketch of Abdul Matin

Abdul Matin was is a language activist of the Bengali Language Movement that took place in the erstwhile East Pakistan (currently Bangladesh) to make Bengali one of the state language of Pakistan. He was one of the leading student leader and organizer of the movement. His contribution to the movement has been hailed by the other activists and students as he was popularly known as Rashtrabhasha Matin meaning Matin for state language

Early life

Matin was admitted to Darjeeling School in 1932. After passing the matriculation in 1943 he came back to East Bengal. Later that year he was admitted to Rajshahi College. According to him he had no political consensus before getting into the college. He was graduated in 1947.

Involvement in Language Movement

Matin was active during the language movement. When the government decided not to include Bengali as one of the official languages, students protested on March 11, 1948, where Matin joined for picketing. On March 24, 1948 after Mohammad Ali Jinnah made his speech at Race Course Maidan (currently Suhrawardy Udyan), he came to Dhaka University for convocation. Matin was also present at the ceremony to receive his degree. When Jinnah repeated his position about language policy, however, Matin stood up at the chair and shouted, No. It can not be. Other students also supported him during that time. On mid September 1951, in a meeting at the central building of Dhaka University, Matin said that they have no complaints about Urdu, but he wanted Bangle’s status with Urdu. Matin was present at the meeting on January 30, 1952 and became a member of the Shorbodolio Rashtrabhasha Kormoporishod. Earlier, on 11 March 1951, a rally was held at Dhaka University, organised by the then East Pakistan Chatra (Student League). Khaleque Nawaz Khan, veteran student leader and President of the then Chatra League, presided over that meeting. In that meeting Matin was selected as convener of the Dhaka University Language Action Committee. 

Other political involvements

Matin joined with the 4th class clerks at one of their procession. There he was arrested and spend two months in prison. Coming back from jail, the Vice Chancellor of the university asked him for a bond. After his refusal, however, he was sacked for three years, which, according to him, was the turning point of his political career. On March 27 and 28, 1951, during a meeting in Dhaka, Purbo-Pakistan Juboleague (East Pakistan Youth League) was formed with Matin as the Joint Secretary. Matin was also a member of the central committee of Chatra League, the students’ league that was patronized by Awami League. After protesting the decision of selecting Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as its chairman, however, he was sacked from the committee.

BDST: 1000 HRS, OCT 08, 2014