Shawkat Ali (April 20, 1918 – August 18, 1975) was a politician and a leader of the
Bengali Language Movement. He was one of the founders of
Awami Muslim League - which later became Awami League and is now the Bangladesh Awami League. He was a member of all three
Rastrabhasa Sangram Parishad. He was also the Chief Organizer of Dhaka City Awami League during the 1950s. His house in 150, Chawk Moghultuly, Dhaka was the center for many activities and meetings during the Language Movement. He died of a stroke on August 18, 1975. He is buried in Jurain graveyard in Dhaka.
Early life
Shawkat Ali was born in a prominent
Sunni Muslim family in Gandaria,
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
,
East Bengal
ur,
, common_name = East Bengal
, status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan
, p1 = Bengal Presidency
, flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg
, s1 = East ...
on April 20, 1918. His father Shamser Ali was a prominent businessman in the area and his mother Meherunnisa Khanam was a housewife. He lost his mother when he was two years old. He was raised by his father and maternal uncles and aunts. He attended Muslim High School. After completion of his high school, he attended Jagannath College and received his B.Com. degree. He went for higher studies in Dhaka University but could not finish due to political involvement.
Political career
Shawkat Ali was deeply involved with
Tamaddun Majlish
The Tamaddun Majlish ( bn, তমদ্দুন মজলিশ), formerly Pakistan Tamaddun Majlish, is an Islamic cultural organization in Bangladesh, established in 1947 by Principal Abul Kashem in the former East Pakistan. It was one of the ...
. On 30 December 1947, a meeting was called by
Principal Abul Kashem at the Rashid Building.
The first Rastrabhasa Sangram Parishad called "Tomuddin Majlish er Rashtrobhasha sub-committee" was formed under the leadership of Professor Abul Kashem. Shawkat Ali was elected as one of the members of that committee.
On March 2, 1948, he was elected one of the members of the second Language Movement sub-committee. The second sub-committee called a general strike throughout the country on 11 March 1948. It was the first strike of the Language Movement. Shawkat Ali played an important role during that strike. He along with his friends started picketing in front of the second entrance of the Secretariat building. At one point of the picketing, he halted the car carrying the Police S.P. Chatham and I.G. Zakir Hossain. Others picketing with him were
Kazi Golam Mahboob
Kazi Golam Mahbub (23 December 1927 – 19 March 2006) was a Bangladeshi activist and politician. He participated in the Bengali language movement, Language Movement that took place in the erstwhile East Pakistan.
Early life and education
Mahbu ...
and Engineer Barkat. When the I.G. handcuffed the other two activists, Shawkat Ali laid down in front of the car. The I.G. then said "you are under arrest too" and grabbed his hand. Shawkat Ali in return grabbed the shiny car bumper with his other hand. The car then started to move while dragging him along with the I.G. He was then arrested and taken away.
Also arrested on that day were
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengali politi ...
, Khaleque Nawaz Khan,
Shamsul Huq
Shamsul Huq (1918–1965) was a Bengali politician who led a parliamentary committee in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan to advocate for the recognition of the Bengali language during the Language movement of the 1950s. He was also the firs ...
,
Oli Ahad, Abdul Wahed and others. Separate cases were filed against Shawkat Ali and Kazi Golam Mahboob.
All the arrestees were released on the evening of 15 March after signing the ''Rashtrobhasha Chukti''(Language Movement Treaty). The authorities refused to free Shawkat Ali and Kazi Golam Mahbub because they had separate charges against them along with the charges for picketing. At this point, the other released leaders and activists started shouting at the jail authorities and declared that they would not leave prison until all the leaders are freed. The authorities finally had to release the other leaders.
On March 16, 1948, a student meeting was held at the Dhaka University Campus demanding Bengali to be the National Language. After the meeting, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led a rally towards the Assembly Hall. The rally passed Engineering College, Dhaka Medical College and reached the four corners near Assembly Hall. The students surrounded the Hall and laid a siege. The members of the assembly, the speaker, deputy speaker, and the MPs were all encircled. Shawkat Ali, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and others engaged in a heated exchange of words with the MPs and the District Magistrate. Suddenly, the students came under attack by the police. The policemen started using batons, tear gas shells and fired blanks. Nineteen activists were injured that day and Shawkat Ali was the most seriously hurt.
The Language Movement reached its climax in 1952 with the indiscriminate shooting by the police at protesters and killing four young men -
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam Salam adopted the forename "Mohammad" in 1974 in response to the anti-Ahmadiyya decrees in Pakistan, similarly he grew his beard. (; ; 29 January 192621 November 1996) was a Punjabi Pakistani theoretical physicist and a ...
,
Rafiq Uddin Ahmed
Rafiq Uddin Ahmed ( bn, রফিক উদ্দিন আহমদ) (30 October 1926 – 21 February 1952) was a protester killed during the Bengali Language Movement that took place in East Pakistan (currently Bangladesh) in 1952. He is co ...
,
Abul Barkat and
Abdul Jabbar.
Shawkat Ali led and organised and led many of the protests, rallies, and picketing during the tragic and fateful days of February 1952. He was arrested again on March 2, 1952, and was imprisoned for a long time.
Death
Shawkat Ali suffered a stroke on August 15, 1975, upon hearing the news of the
Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He died on August 18, 1975, at the Holy Family Hospital, Dhaka. He is buried in Jurain graveyard in Dhaka.
Family
On 1960, Ali married Rahima Khatun, the vice-principal of Fazlul Haq Mohila College in Dhaka. They had three sons and a daughter.
Legacy
In 2011, Ali was awarded the
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 ...
one of the highest civilian awards in Bangladesh.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Language Movement, with effect from January 17, 2010,
Dhaka City Corporation
Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) was the former self-governing corporation that was entrusted with the task of administering the municipal affairs of Dhaka. The incorporated area was divided into several wards. Each ward has an elected ward commissio ...
renamed Dhanmondi Road No. 4/A after him.
References
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* https://web.archive.org/web/20110716230936/http://www.thedailysangbad.com/details.php?news=23&action=main&menu_type=&option=single&news_id=3238&pub_no=38
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shawkat Ali
1918 births
1975 deaths
Awami League politicians
Recipients of the Ekushey Padak
People from Dhaka