Monday, March 01, 2004

Bangladeshi Scholar Attacked, in Critical Condition

By Tanweer Akram

Professor Humayun Azad Professor Humayun Azad, a noted Bangladeshi scholar, academic, essayist, novelist, and linguist, was brutally attacked in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Feb. 27, 2004. The Daily Star, a leading English-language newspaper, reported:

Motives for the attempt on his life could not be known immediately, but co-authors and the victim’s family blamed a fundamentalist section that threatened him with death for the launch of his latest work ‘Pak Sar Zamin Saad Baad’ in November [2003]. ‘Fundamentalists have done this,’ Azad’s wife Latifa Kohinoor alleged at the CMH[Combined Military Hospital]. ‘Who else would do this? You know an MP [Member of Parliament] even spat venom against him in parliament.’
‘Why didn’t you take security measures to protect him after such an outrage in parliament?’ an incensed Latifa asked Dhaka Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar at the hospital.
The ministers kept mum in embarrassment, but later promised action to hunt down the attackers.

This is a brutal attack on a Bangladeshi scholar known for his iconoclastic and sometimes controversial views that brought the ugly umbrage of religious fundamentalists and others, including many progressives. Azad was known for speaking his mind. His books and essays were popular and widely read, even though some of his books had been banned by various governments of Bangladesh.

Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, a fundamentalist member of Parliament representing Jamaat-i-Islami, known for his provocative and vulgar statements, recently called for banning Professor Azad’s books under Bangladesh’s Blasphemy Law. Jamaat-I-Islami is the main fundamentalist party in Bangladesh. Even though Jamaat had an active collaborationist role in war crimes committed by the Pakistan Army during the liberation of Bangladesh, it is a member of the ruling coalition with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Delway Hossain Sayeedi’s dislike for independent journalists is well documented. In its 2003 annual report, Reporters without frontiers noted:

At a public meeting on 23 March, Maulana Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, a member of parliament for Jamaat-e-Islami (a junior member of the ruling alliance), criticised journalists who ‘confuse Muslims and Islamists’ and called for blood tests for journalists ‘to see if they are Muslims or not.’

The hatred generated by Delwar Sayeedi and others fundamentalists has contributed to the milieu of fundamentalist arrogance and hatred for free speech in Bangladesh. Professor Azad had received death threats for his writings. A “call” for punishing him came during one of the recent anti-Ahmadiyya mob meetings in Dhaka.

Professor Azad is a major Bangla novelist. His most recent novel earned him the wrath of fundamentalists and assorted bigots. It is a story about an Islamic fundamentalist who is determined to establish a Taliban-like regime in Bangladesh. The title of the novel is the Pakistani national anthem, “Pak Sar Zamin Saad Baad.” The Bengalis are aware of historic oppression under the Pakistani rule of Bengal, the exploitation of its resources, and the genocide carried out by the Pakistani army. The militant protagonist of the novel wants to setup a “distorted Pakistan.” At the end of the novel, the fundamentalist has a dramatic change: He falls love with a Hindu woman and gives up religious fundamentalism.

Azad has often made some controversial remarks. His endorsement of the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan was certainly a contentious view. The bombing of Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of at least 10,000 innocent civilians who had nothing to do with the terror attacks of 9-11. Indeed, Professor Marc W. Herold argues in a forthcoming study, citing primary reports by Ilene Prusher and John Pilger, that the quality of everyday life has not improved for the great majority of Afghans. Even though most people cannot agree with his views on Afghanistan the fact remains that Professor Azad should have a right to freedom of speech and his viewpoints. No matter what his views of society and religion are every person is entitled to human rights.

The real issue is that the government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has failed to provide Professor Azad security. The responsibility for ensuring the security of its citizens lies with the government of the state. The editorial of The Bangladesh Observer, another leading English language newspaper, put the issues in perspective:

The attack on Professor Humayun Azad has cast a pall of gloom across the nation. It is widely believed that Islamic fundamentalists are behind the attack. Professor Azad has been well known for his bold and often controversial statements. While many did not agree with the maverick professor but most thought that he had a right to do so in a democratic society. But there were people who did not think so. The latest episode indicating how intolerant our society is increasingly becoming. … For quite some time the Islamic right has arrogated itself the responsibility of assigning religious pejorative to writers. A number of people have been dubbed as “murtads” (apostates). They are also demanding introduction of a blasphemy law. Lately their target has been the microscopic Ahmadiya community. Elements within the government are demanding that the sect is pronounced as non-Muslims and their mosques are handed over to the Sunnis ( Hanafi). This growing intolerance is alarming.

Professor Humayun Azad remains in a critical condition. Drishtipat, a Bangladeshi human rights group, has a created a webpage on news related to Professor Azad as he fights for his life. I hope that progressive people all over the world will join in strongly condemning the cowardly attack on Professor Azad and demand that the government of Bangladesh act to bring to justice those responsible for this attack.

Tanweer Akram is an economist. He has worked for international financial institutions and management consulting firms. His papers and reviews have appeared in numerous peer reviewed journals, including Applied Economics, Journal of Emerging Markets, Kyklos, Savings and Development, and Third World Quarterly. He is a regular contributor to Press Action.

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