Mohammad Sultan (24 December 1926 – 31 December 1983) was a Bangladeshi
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
and
language activist
Language revitalization, also referred to as language revival or reversing language shift, is an attempt to halt or reverse the decline of a language or to revive an extinct one. Those involved can include linguists, cultural or community groups, o ...
of the
Bengali Language Movement.
Early life
He was born at
Panchagarh
Panchagarh (; bn, পঞ্চগড়, 'five forts') is a district of the Rangpur division in Northern Bangladesh. Panchagarh is the northernmost district of Bangladesh. It lies between 26º00' and 26º38' north latitudes and between 88º19' a ...
on 24 December 1926. He was the son of Shomsher Ali and Gulzannessa. He passed entrance examination from Jessore Zilla School. He received his Honors from
Rajshahi College in and finished his master's degree in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
in 1953 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 ...
.
Political career
Mohammad Sultan was inspired by Quit India movement in his youth and joined in Pakistan Movement in 1946. In 1948, he helped to organize the Language Movement in
Rajshahi. He joined the Jubo League in 1951 and became the joint secretary of its central committee. He also took part in the Language Movement from Dhaka University in 1952 and at the end of the year became the Chairman of the newly born Students' Union. He worked extremely hard to establish the Union and continued his work at the Jubo League. After the separation of political party NAP, Sultan joined the faction led by
Maulana Bhasani
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 ...
. Later he started publishing political literature with
M.R.Akhtar Mukul. He also published the famous collection on Bengali Language Movement "Ekushey February" on 1953. Muslim League run government eventually banned the collection. Mohammad Sultan had to suffer a considerable period of his life in jail. In 1954, he was arrested and kept imprisoned for about a year. After the beginning of Martial law in Pakistan in 1958, Sultan was again arrested and served in jail for four years without any specific trial. He was a lifetime member of
Bangla Academy and vice-chairman of Bangladesh Book Publishers Committee.
Road Number 3 in
Dhanmondi
Dhanmondi ( bn, ধানমন্ডি) is a residential area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, known for its central location, cultural vibrancy and being home to the country's founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The origins of Dhanmondi can be traced back to t ...
is named after him.
References
Further reading
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External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sultan
1926 births
1983 deaths
Bangladeshi politicians
Rajshahi College alumni