The Sun peeps behind the cloud --- A preamble
"Only the person of worth can recognize the worth in others." ----- Thomas Carlyle
Without casting a glance on contemporary history, it is difficult to lay down emphasis on and to justify, in a fragment, the emergence of publishing a website on the life of Late A.K.M. Fazlul Quader Chowdhury.
When a nation strives for freedom, yearns for salvation from bondage and servitude, Almighty looks upon them with pity and creates some men or women endowing them astounding power and charisma of awakening the entire nation from dormant condition. Those blessed sons of the soil lead the nation to freedom and enlightenment. They are called "poet", "scientist", "preacher", "social reformer", "politician", "statesman", above all "leader".
The period of time Fazlul Quader Chowdhury was born is historically significant. The year 1919 was a crucial period of global history. 1919 was the period of armistice when the Treaty of Versailles ended the bloody war between conflicting nations during 1914-1918. Then a political reorganisation was taking place in Europe. And, at the same time, a political change was also brewing within British India.
A.K.M. Fazlul Quader Chowdhury was born in the year 1919 on the 26th March, the second decade of the twentieth century, in a transitional period of the freedom struggle of the Indian Muslims. It was the need of the hour!
Genesis of leadership thrived in Fazlul Quader Chowdhury when he was graduating in Calcutta Presidency College during 1937-1939. He was elected Vice-President of Carmichael Hostel Union and later he was elected Secretary General of All India Muslim Students Federation. As a rising leader he was the first Bengalee Muslim leader to have been arrested by the then British Raj in 1942. By dint of forceful personality and prudent leadership, he raised his stature to the position of Speakership of National Assembly and acting President of the then Pakistan in the year 1963.
A.K.M.Fazlul Quader Chowdhury is one of those illustrious gifted sons of the land who made his advent to this world after century-long descending and deprived condition of the Indian Muslims. Charismatic personality of Fazlul Quader Chowdhury lit the ray of hope in despair, awoke the nation from slumber, sang the song of freedom and symbolised the lofty ideal of humanity.
He contributed to the nation immensely, even though his contributions have not been recognised properly. University of Chittagong, Engineering College (presently Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology), Chittagong Medical College, Chittagong Marine Academy, Chittagong Marine Fisheries, Polytechnic Institute established in the then East Pakistan during sixties and seventies bear the testimony of his visionary leadership and his commitment to the future.
His indomitable will and undaunted personality never merged himself with favourable change. Even misfortune could not deviate him from his chosen path of ideology. "We have got to carry on and be alert always that we may lose everything but never our high values of life. After all, what is life which is so temporary. High values of life endure till eternity if one can face the world with those values ignoring pits of temptation."- Such is the conviction of Fazlul Quader Chowdhury for values of life. He paid for it at the cost of his life in Dhaka Central Jail.
Even then Fazlul Quader Chowdhury is a very controversial figure in the arena of politics of this Sub-continent. Historically, no politician is above controversy, not even our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)- the greatest statesman of all times. The saying goes: "Only idiots are above controversy."
Moral obligation lies upon the conscious section of today to unveil the truth before the present generation. Hence, initiative for publishing a website on a person of likes and dislikes like Fazlul Quader Chowdhury is a desperate and timely move.
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