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 East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the 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 and Myanmar, wit ...

(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 mo ...

) in 1952. He is considered a martyr in Bangladesh. Language Martyr, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed

Early life

Ahmed was born October 30, 1926 in Paril village (renamed 'Rafiqnagar'), Singair, Manikganj District,

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 = Ea ...

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 him ...

. His father's name was Abdul Latif and mother's name was Rafiza Khatun. Rafiq was the eldest son of the couple's five sons and two daughters. Rafiq's grandfather is Mohammad Makhim. He passed his matriculation from Baira School in 1949. He studied Intermediate level from Debendra College but dropped out before finishing. He moved to Dhaka and started working in a printing press owned by his father. In Dhaka, he was admitted to the Department of Accounting Science at the then Jagannath College.

Bengali Language Movement

Ahmed was active in the student protest demanding

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

be made the national language of Pakistan on 21 February 1952 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) at

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 ...

. When police opened fire at the demonstration in front of Dhaka Medical College premises, Rafiq was shot in the head and died immediately. His body was found on the east side of Room 5 of the medical hostel. Six to seven agitators found his body on the porch behind the Anatomy Hall. He was buried at Azimpur Graveyard under guard of

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...

. His grave, though, was lost and could not be identified later.

Legacy

He 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 ...

posthumously in the year 2000 for his sacrifice. His village has been renamed Rafiqnagar from Paril and Bhasha Shaheed Rafiq Uddin Ahmad Library and Memorial Museum was created in his village in February 2010. The museum in memoriam of Rafiq was erected as a testament to the patriotism and courage he displayed being a martyr of the movement. The museum is quite empty and does not house many significant artifacts, or memorabilia. Shaheed Rafiq Smriti Pathagar is a library in Manikganj named after him and was established in 2004. "Chander Moto Chandro Bindu" is a play based on his memoirs.

References

External links

Short biography
in Prime Minister's official website, Govt. Of Bangladesh 1926 births 1952 deaths 1952 murders in Pakistan Bengali language movement activists Deaths by firearm in Bangladesh People murdered in Bangladesh Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Burials at Azimpur Graveyard {{Bangladesh-hist-stub