In the advent of February or the Bangla month of Fagun, I recollect a golden memory along with the glorious sacrifice of our indomitable language soldiers that I would like to share with you on the eve of this very 21st of February.
That was the month of June, 1988, I was opening an Educational Institute in Dhanmondi 15. One of my relatives took me to a small printing press in a very old white building in Azimpur.
The owner of the printing press was a historical personality Principal Abul Kashem, the Principal of Mirpur Bangla College. I invited him to the opening ceremony that he accepted cordially.
After tea, we had a chat with the Principal; he was almost seventy with a slander and strong build and long white beard. He was slowly and indifferently describing his active participation in the Language Movement. He went back to the February of 1952 telling us how he participated in those demonstrations, above all, how secretly and cautiously he printed leaflets and posters for the Language Movement in his press at midnight with some watchers outside who were watching every step of every pedestrian. He really took the risk of his life and his family, but his unfathomable courage and patriotism was burning like the flame of spring or FagunerAgun.
By the way, in that opening ceremony, there were some other dignitaries: the then Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Abdul Mannan, the Proctor of Dhaka University Professor Sadrul Amin, now the Dean of Arts Faculty.
Interestingly and surprisingly, VC Abdul Mannan was the student of Prinicipal Abul Kashem, Professor Sadrul Amin was the student of VC Abdul Mannan, I was the student of Professor Sadrul Amin and additionally, I had some students present in that inaugural ceremony. So there was five generations of students in that gala. We shared that evening very much which is one of my golden memories that I will cherish in the years to come.