The maulana who fought for Bangla
The Language Movement hero – who also shepherded movements in port city Chattogram against the then Pakistani rulers in 1971 – jumped into nation building after the independence
Maulana Ahmedur Rahman Azmee, a Language Movement hero and a freedom fighter, dreamed of building a society free from exploitation since his student life. Although he received higher education from madrasas, he earned a name for his progressiveness and a firm stance against all forms of oppression.
The Language Movement hero – who also shepherded movements in port city Chattogram against the then Pakistani rulers in 1971 – jumped into nation building after the independence. Until his death in 2011, he had worked relentlessly against hunger and poverty.
Despite a unique role in the Liberation War, Maulana Azmee is more prominent to Chattogram people for his leadership in the 1952 Language Movement.
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Maulana Azmee, who was in the forefront of the Language Movement in Chattogram, was arrested five times in 1958, 1961, 1962 and 1964 and was imprisoned for about four years. He had to go into hiding at least 19 times, under the aliases of Majnu or Montu.
Maulana Ahmedur Rahman Azmee was born on 2 November 1928 in Deokhali village of Ichakhali union in Chattogram's Mirsharai upazila. His father Golam Rahman was a religious scholar, and his mother Mariamunnesa was a housewife.
After passing the sixth grade from Mithachara school in 1942, his father admitted him to Aburhat Madrasa where Maulana Azmee came to know about ATM Shamsuddin.
They became close as ATM Shamsuddin would supply younger Azmee different pamphlets, newspapers, manifestos and other political books. Subsequently, Azmee stumbled upon Syedul Haque Miah – a leftist political leader of Chattogram.
Azmee started attending various secret meetings and gatherings organised by left leaning student wings. As the father came to know about the political ventures of his son, Azmee in 1948 ended up at Darul Uloom Madrasa in Hathazari.
From 1948 to 1950, Maulana Azmee had been in touch with the left leaning Student Federation.
On 22 February 1952, a day after the police firing on students who were campaigning for the recognition of Bangla in Dhaka, Maulana Azmee came across the news. The news erupted quickly in Chattogram as Azmee called for a procession and rally at Hathazari on 23 February. From the rally, Hathazari Thana Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad was formed with Azmee as the convenor. He later got included in Chattogram District Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad.
Azmee was the founding general secretary of East Pakistan Students Union Chittagong district chapter. In May 1958, a warrant was issued against 29 leftist political leaders in connection with the Language Movement. He was arrested on 19 October. After the arrest, police tried to get a bond from him, to no avail. Therefore, he was sent to jail.
He was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment for treason. The sentence, however, was commuted to one and a half years in appeal.
Azmee was with various political parties such as the Awami League, Bhasani-led National Awami Party (NAP), Krishak Samiti, Mozaffar Ahmed-backed NAP, Chowdhury Harun-ur-Rashid-backed NAP, and Ganoforum.
In 1966, Maulana Azmee married Anwara Begum at the age of 38. The couple was blessed with three sons and two daughters.
The language veteran died at his Mirsharai residence on 17 February 2011 due to old age complications.
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