Farhad Mazhar ( bn, ফরহাদ মজহার; born 9 August 1947) is a
Bangladeshi
Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay.
Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the ...
poet, philosopher, writer, columnist, pharmacist, social and human rights activist, and environmentalist. He is one of the founders and the managing director of UBINIG.
Biography
Mazhar graduated with honours in
pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
from the
University of Dhaka
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 1967 and worked as a pharmacist in New York City in the seventies and eighties. He also studied
political economy
Political economy is the study of how Macroeconomics, economic systems (e.g. Marketplace, markets and Economy, national economies) and Politics, political systems (e.g. law, Institution, institutions, government) are linked. Widely studied ph ...
in
The New School for Social Research
The New School for Social Research (NSSR) is a graduate-level educational institution that is one of the divisions of The New School in New York City, United States. The university was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive era thinkers. NSSR ...
. He is the founding member and managing director of UBINIG (Policy Research for Development Alternative), a policy research and advocacy group in
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 ...
working as an integral part of the community with the grassroots people to strengthen common resistance against the dominant processes of
globalisation
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
as well as creating space for strategic negotiations whenever possible.
Since the early days of his intellectual career, Farhad Mazhar has always been committed to
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...
, particularly because of his analysis of
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
and the formation of revolutionary subjects. His recent intellectual contribution is more concerned with the critical understanding of religion,
spirituality
The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...
and the question of
class
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
narratives in a
post-colonial
Postcolonialism is the critical academic study of the cultural, political and economic legacy of colonialism and imperialism, focusing on the impact of human control and exploitation of colonized people and their lands. More specifically, it is a ...
society.
He is virulently critical of the vulgar materialist reduction of Marx's contribution as well as the teachings of his revolutionary followers by the conventional
left
Left may refer to:
Music
* ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006
* ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016
* "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996
Direction
* Left (direction), the relative direction opposite of right
* L ...
in Bangladesh. Mazhar argues for a new politics which is more informed by the experience of the failure of previous
socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
projects and the recent developments in philosophy and politics. Beside being an accomplished poet, he is considered as the major radical thinker in Bangladesh.
After Mazhar had been arrested in 1995,
Nadine Gordimer
Nadine Gordimer (20 November 192313 July 2014) was a South African writer and political activist. She received the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognized as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writin ...
,
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida (; ; born Jackie Élie Derrida; See also . 15 July 1930 – 9 October 2004) was an Algerian-born French philosopher. He developed the philosophy of deconstruction, which he utilized in numerous texts, and which was developed t ...
and
Mahasweta Devi
Mahasweta Devi (14 January 1926 – 28 July 2016) ''
wrote a letter in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' saying,
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (born 24 February 1942) is an Indian scholar, literary theorist, and feminist critic. She is a University Professor at Columbia University and a founding member of the establishment's Institute for Comparative Lite ...
mentioned him in her lecture "Many Voices" while receiving the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy in 2012 saying, "The poet Farhad Mazhar, with whom I had formed a friendship in the seventies, introduced me to the practitioners at the devotional school of Lalan Shah Fakir, a 19th century grassroots theologian and minstrel composer of amazing depth and invention...Farhad has recently reminded me that I had counseled him to sink himself in Lalan. Yet I think of Lalan as his gift to me."
Following the 2013 Motijheel Shootings, Mazhar was one of the few public intellectuals within Bangladesh to challenge the government's disinformation campaign. and the liberal logic of massacre.
William Gomes has recently compared Farhad Mazhar with
Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani
Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani (12 December 1880 – 17 November 1976), often shortened as Maulana Bhashani, was a Bengali politician. His political tenure spanned the British colonial India, Pakistan and Bangladesh periods.
Maulana Bhashani was pop ...
and said, "Farhad Mazhar, who has continuously battled against the current fascistic regime with tolerates no dissent and demands absolute loyalty from the local press corps. He very recently stand alone against the covered-up massacre in Dhaka, where unarmed protesters were allegedly extrajudicially killed by the law enforcement agencies as they meditated and slept in the early hours on May 6th under cover of darkness."
Criticism
Salimullah Khan
Salimullah Khan ( bn, সলিমুল্লাহ খান; born 18 August 1958) is a Bangladeshi writer. Khan explores national and international politics and culture using Marxist and Lacanian theories. Informed and influenced by Ahmed Sof ...
criticized him for inciting violence before and after
2014 Bangladeshi general election
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 5 January 2014, in accordance with the constitutional requirement that elections must take place within the 90-day period before the expiration of the term of the Jatiya Sangshad on 24 January 2014.
...
.
Abduction
Mazhar was found on a bus after his family had reported him missing. He sparked a police hunt after leaving his Dhaka home on Monday morning. There were reports of a ransom demand. Police said Mr Mazhar was eventually found on a bus travelling to the capital from the south-western city of Khulna. It was unclear if he had been abducted.
Bibliography
Prose
* ''Prastab'' (''Proposal'', 1976)
* ''Sashastra Ganaabhyutthan Ebang Ganatantrik Rashtrer Utthan Prasange'' (''On Armed Mass Revolt and the Rise of Democratic State'', 1985)
* ''Rajkumari Hasina'' (''Princess Hasina'', 1995)
* ''Sainjir Dainya Gan'' (2000)
* ''Jagadish'' (2002)
* ''Samna Samni: Farhad Mazharer Sange Kathabarta'' (2004)
* ''Banijya O Bangladesher Janagan'' (2004)
* ''Mokabila'' (2006)
* ''Ganapratiraksha'' (2006)
* ''Kshamatar Bikar O Ganashaktir Udbodhan'' (2007)
* ''Purushtantra O Nari'' (2008)
* ''Bhabandolan'' (2008)
* ''Samrajyabad'' (Imperialism, 2008)
* ''Rakter Dag Muchhe Rabindrapath'' (2008)
* ''Sambidhan O Ganatantra'' (''Constitution and Democracy'', 2008)
* ''Nirbachita Prabandha'' (''Selected Essays'', 2008)
* ''Crossfire: Rashtrer Rajnaitik Hatyakanda'' (''Crossfire: Political Carnage by the State'', 2008)
* ''Jacques Derrida-r Chihna Bichar'' (2010)
* ''Timir Janya Logicbidya'' (2011)
* ''Pran O Prakriti'' (''Life and Nature'', 2011)
* ''Marx Pather Bhoomika'' (''An Introduction to the Study of Marx'', 2011)
* ''Jaruri Abastha: Rashtra O Rajneeti'' (2012)
* ''Digital Fascibad'' (''Digital Fascism'', 2012)
* ''Yuddha Aro Kathin Aro Gabheer'' (2014)
* ''Byakti Bandhutwa O Sahitya'' (2016)
* ''Marx, Foucault O Ruhaniyat'' (''Marx, Foucault and Spirituality'', 2018)
Poetry
* ''Khokan Ebang Tar Pratipurush'' (''The Dear Boy and His Representative'', 1972)
* ''Tribhanger Tinti Jyamiti'' (''Three Geometries of the Ill-shaped Man'', 1977)
* ''Amake Tumi Danr Kariye Diyechho Biplaber Samne'' (''You Have Pushed Me Towards Revolution'', 1983)
* ''Lieutenant General Truck'' (1984)
* ''Subhakusum Dui Pharma'' (1985)
* ''Briksha'' (The Tree, 1985)
* ''Akasmat Raptanimukhi Narimachine'' (1985)
* ''Khasra Gadya'' (1987)
* ''Meghmachiner Sangeet'' (1988)
* ''Asamayer Noteboi'' (1994)
* ''Daradi Bakul'' (1994)
* ''Gubre Pokar Shwashur'' (2000)
* ''Kabitar Boner Sange Abar'' (2003)
* ''Cameragiri'' (2010)
* ''Shreshtha Kabita'' (2010)
* ''Ebadatnama'' (2011)
* ''E Samayer Kabita'' (2011)
* ''Je Tumi Rang Dekhoni'' (2011)
* ''Kabitasangraha'' (2011)
* ''Tumi Chhara Ar Kon Shalare Ami Care Kari'' (2016)
* ''Sadaruddin'' (2018)
Plays
* ''Prajapatir Leelalasya'' (1972)
Translations
* ''Arthashastra Paryalochanar Ekti Bhoomika'' (2010) (Translation of ''
A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy
''A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy'' (german: Zur Kritik der Politischen Ökonomie) is a book by Karl Marx, first published in 1859. The book is mainly a critique of political economy achieved by critiquing the writings of the ...
'' by Karl Marx, 1859)
* ''Khun Habar Dui Rakam Paddhati'' (2011) (Translation of
Roque Dalton
Roque is an American variant of croquet played on a hard, smooth surface. Popular in the first quarter of the 20th century and billed "the Game of the Century" by its enthusiasts, it was an Olympic sport in the 1904 Summer Games, replacing cr ...