The 90th birthday of Dhaka University professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, one of the country鈥檚 most prominent public intellectuals, is observed today.
Born on June 23, 1936, at Bikrampur in the Munshiganj district, Serajul Islam Choudhury, a renowned academic, has always been vocal against any injustice in society.
To mark the day, a discussion titled 鈥楾he 1971 Liberation War and the role of nationalism鈥� has been arranged by the Natun Diganta family at the Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium at Bangla Academy in the capital Dhaka in the afternoon today.
Serajul Islam Choudhury, also the editor of Natun Diganta, a periodical on literature and culture, will deliver the keynote speech at the discussion.
Politicians Mujahidul Islam Selim, Subhrangshu Chakrobartty and Razequzzaman Ratan, academic Anu Muhammad, journalists Abu Sayeed Khan and Sazzad Sharif are scheduled to speak at the discussion and academic Parveen Hassan will chair the event. Academic Azfar Hussain will conduct the programme.
Serajul Islam Choudhury鈥檚 friends, colleagues and well-wishers will also attend the programme.
Serajul Islam Choudhury, also a prolific writer, plays a significant role in inspiring people to join the struggle for freedom of speech and against the violation of fundamental rights by offering a sharp critique of any undemocratic social, economic and political order.
He also raised his voice against land grabbing, river pollution, a move to fell trees at Osmani Udyan in the capital, an initiative to construct a commercial building at the courtyard of celebrated Lalon Shah鈥檚 shrine in Kushtia, and a move to build an airport at Arial Bil in Munshiganj destroying farmland, among others.
Serajul Islam Choudhury has always been vocal against imperialism.
He had schooling in Rajshahi, Kolkata of West Bengal and Dhaka. He passed the secondary school certificate examinations from Saint Gregory鈥檚 High School in Dhaka in 1950 and the higher secondary certificate examinations from Notre Dame College in Dhaka in 1952.
He obtained his Master of Arts degree in English from Dhaka University. He joined the department in 1957 as a lecturer and had served the department for 44 years. He is currently a professor emeritus.
Serajul Islam Choudhury has written about 100 books spreading relentlessly enlightened thoughts in society.
He had edited the university journals of arts and letters in Bangla and English 鈥� Dhaka Biswavidyalay Patrika for 15 years and Dhaka University Studies for nine years.
He was also a frontline leader of Bangladesh Lekhak Shibir, a literary and cultural organisation.
Various honours, including Ekushey Padak and Bangla Academy Award, were conferred on him.
He was nominated by the Dhaka University senate to the three-member panel for appointment of vice-chancellor of the university three times. He was also one of the drafters of Dhaka University Order 1973.
In 1971, Serajul Islam Choudhury was one of the six teachers of the university who were warned by the then Pakistani military rulers for their 鈥榓nti-state鈥� activities, was on the 鈥榳anted list鈥� of Al Badar killers during the country鈥檚 Liberation War but somehow escaped the killing of intellectuals.
Since his wife Professor Najma Jesmin Choudhury passed away in 1989, he has been leading his life in the company of his two daughters and grandson and granddaughters.
