Abul Barkat ( bn, আবুল বরকত ) (June 16, 1927 – February 21, 1952) was a protester killed during the
Bengali Language Movement protests which took place in the erstwhile
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...
(currently
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
), in 1952. He is considered a martyr in Bangladesh.
Early life
Barkat was born on June 13 or 16, 1927 in Babla village,
Salar that time
Bharatpur Block,
Murshidabad
Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district.
During ...
,
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
,
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. He studied in Babla primary school and completed his matriculation from Talibpur High School in 1945 and completed his intermediate from
Krishnath College
Murshidabad University is a public state university in Berhampore, Murshidabad, West Bengal. The university was established in 2021 by the West Bengal government under ''The Murshidabad University Act, 2018''.
History
The institution was establ ...
in 1947. He moved to Dhaka in 1948 after the
Partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
.
He completed his BA in political science from
Dhaka University
The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...
in 1951. He started his MA in political science in Dhaka University.
Bengali Language Movement
On February 21, 1952, students bought out a protest demanding Bengali language be given the status of national language despite
Section 144 Unlawful assembly is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group is about to start an act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then ter ...
(curfew) being imposed. The police fired at the protestors on the road in front of
Dhaka Medical College
Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (abbreviated DMCH) is a public medical college and hospital located in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. It houses medical school as well as a tertiary care hospital on one campus.
The country's first eve ...
. Barkat was seriously injured and later died at the Dhaka Medical College around 8:00pm on February 21, 1952. He was buried in the Azimpur Graveyard.
The location of his grave has since been lost. His mother, Hasina Begum, inaugurated the
Shaheed Minar in 1963.
Legacy
Abul Barkat was awarded
Ekushey Padak
Ekushey Padak ( bn, একুশে পদক; lit. "Twentyfirst Award") is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contribut ...
in 2000.
A museum has been built for him in Dhaka University campus.
A documentary titled ''Bayanno'r Michhil'' was made about his life. Movement Hero Abul Barkat memorial museum and archive was open in 2012 in Dhaka University; it was financed by Dhaka District Council.
Gallery
References
External links
Short biographyin Prime Minister's official web site, Govt of Bangladesh
Bengali language movement activists
University of Dhaka alumni
University of Calcutta alumni
Recipients of the Ekushey Padak
1927 births
1952 deaths
Burials at Azimpur Graveyard
Krishnath College alumni
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