Dr. Razee : The political visionary

Dr. Aleem Al Razee a born campaigner, non-conformist and free thinker, made his debut into the political arena of the then Pakistan after being elected as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1965 from his home constituency of Tangail. We were then college students and used to listen in rapt attention to his fiery speeches and scintillating debates in Pakistan parliament in Islamabad broadcast over the radio. Though he was elected as an MNA (Member of the National Assembly) by 'Basic Democrats' who were the members and chairmen of the union councils, he used to sarcastically call them 'Ferestas' (angels) of Field Marshall Ayub Khan of Pakistan Army and the then President. They were eighty thousand in number and Dr. Razee branded them as 'Aashi Hazar Ferestas' (eighty thousand angels). He contested the election as an independent candidate and not by nomination of any political party. In those days there were virtually only two personalities from the then East Pakistan who were vocal against the tyrannical Ayub regime, one being Razee himself and the other Mahbubul Haque from Noakhali.

An accomplished orator, Dr. Razee conveyed his powerful messages, brilliant ideas and indisputable facts clothed in magical words and in his own inimitable style. His speeches were full of profundity, incisiveness and logic that easily convinced and motivated his listeners. He often launched virulent and scathing attacks against his adversaries which included General Ayub himself and his blunt criticism bordered on the satirical that added sharp stings to his remarks. Dr. Razee persistently pressed for the case of the then East Pakistanis and fought for the cause of the rights of the Bengalees who were the victims of discrimination, injustice, domination and repression by the then West Pakistanis. He emphatically pointed to the glaring and widening disparity in all spheres of life between the two wings of Pakistan both on the floors of the Pakistan National Assembly as well as outside and presaged Pakistan's breakup in a way and with a tenacity as no other East Pakistani had done before him.

Dr. Razee was born in a family which enjoined strict Islamic adherence and values, had his primary education in Maktab and Madrasa education from the Qawmi Madrasa which did not teach English, Bengali or Mathematics. He was titled a Moulana winning a gold medal for standing first class first in the Calcutta Aliya Madrasa examination. He further pursued Islamic studies in Hadis and became a Momtazul Mohaddisin and then as a research scholar made a Fakhrul Mohaddisin. He told me, "I applied for the job of a Moulvi teacher in a Madrasha of Rangpur on a monthly salary of Rs. 75, but I was refused since I did not know English. Then I started learning English as a challenge and mastered the language." He got himself admitted in a college in Calcutta, most probably the Islamia College. Later he joined the Dhaka University as a student of History Honours and then he had his MA and LLB from the Calcutta University. He was a university gold medalist. After completing his academic studies at home he went to London for advanced studies, remained there for seven years, obtained double Ph.Ds in Law and History and also did his Bar-at Law. He joined Bar of the High Court Judicature in the East Pakistan after returning from England.

I was a judicial officer in Dhaka Court and left the job of Munsef in early 1974 and joined the Bar to practice law and became a junior to work with him and had attachment with him for about ten years. In 1973 he joined Moulana Bhasani's National Awami Party as its Vice Chairman and became its chairman after the Moulana's death. Afterwards he floated a political party naming it 'Bangladesh People's League'. I accompanied him in submitting the memorandum of political association in the Ministry of Law according to the provisions of Political Parties Act, promulgated by late president Ziaur Rahman.

I consider myself fortunate to be able to mention about the unprecedented contribution Dr. Razee made towards the emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign republic. With the passing away of Dr. Razee on 15th March 1985, came an end of an epoch of quest for democracy and rule of law, deliverance and enlightenment of society. I relocated from Dhaka to Sylhet in 1984 following establishment of the benches of the High Court Division in Sylhet. It was sometime in the first part of 1986, I was sitting in my practicing chamber. One gentleman ushered into my room and introduced himself, "I have come from Rajshahi and I am a guest of your neighbour Dr. Rahim. Doctor shaheb is not in the house now. As I am alone, I have come to pass some time with you and get to know you. My name is Dr. Azharuddin, I am the head of the Department of Economics, Rajshahi University." During our conversation on various subjects, he looked intently at a photograph hanging on a wall and asked me, "Isn't that Dr. Aleem Al Razee"? I said, "Yes, it is him in the photograph."

It was a photograph taken by a journalist in a meeting called 'Sanglap' (Dialogue) that was held between the Chief Martial Law Administrator H.M Ershad flanked by a number of his ministers at one side and Dr. Aleem Al Razee with a number of his party men including me at the other. Seeing the picture Dr Azharuddin was visibly moved with emotion for a while. Afterwards, he told me that he was deeply indebted to Dr. Razee but could not express his gratitude personally to Dr. Razee while he was alive. I asked him how he had anything to do with Dr. Razee. He elucidated, "I went to London for my Ph.D in Economics. I was assigned to work on the economic disparity between the two wings of Pakistan and submit a thesis thereon. But wherever and whenever I searched for facts and figures relating to the disparity I found the reference of Dr. Aleem Al Razee. I had no option other than to buy a London-Islamabad-London air ticket, fly to Islamabad, collect the speeches of Dr. Razee in the Pakistan National assembly and take the flight back to London armed with necessary facts. I submitted my thesis with all homework, study and research done by Dr. Razee on my behalf. I succeeded in getting the coveted Ph.D with the real credit belonging to Dr. Razee."

In a flashback, I went down the memory lane to the day of 'Shanglap' with H.M Ershad. While we were leaving the venue, H.M Ershad walked up to the door to see us off and before we departed he said to Dr. Razee, "Sir, I still recollect your words. While we were in the Pakistan Army we used to listen to your deliberations in the Pakistan National Assembly transmitted over the radio."

I am thankful to Dr. Azharuddin for his greatness and humility in expressing his indebtedness to Dr. Aleem Al Razee. Unfortunately I never had any occasion to meet Dr. Azharuddin after the first encounter with him when he made the revelation.

In the Pakistan period, when Dr. Razee was an elected MNA, in one of the sessions of the national assembly, he was railing against the government's anti-East Pakistan policies which proved too offensive to the ruling party. The Speaker asked him to stop, but he wouldn't whereupon Sergeants-at-Arms had to be called in to physically oust him from the assembly floor. Dr. Razee refused to be gagged, silenced and cowed down by anyone and never bowed down to any pressure.

As a leading human rights lawyer, Dr. Razee was a honorary defence councilor along with the Queen's Council Thomas William in the Agartala conspiracy case brought by Pakistan government in the year 1969 against the so-called plotters who were charged with sedition against the state that would have led to dismemberment of Pakistan and secession of its eastern wing. On departure of the Queens Council, Dr. Razee took over as the chief of Defence Council and successfully defended the accused in the face of all threats.

Advocate Zameeruddin Ahmed who authored the pamphlet "Why golden Bengal has turned into a veritable graveyard?" said he extensively borrowed from Dr. Razee's views, ideas and findings in scripting his write-up. The pamphlet was regarded as a magna carta that inspired and set in motion the Liberation Movement of Bangladesh.

A versatile genius with many rare qualities of head and heart, Dr. Razee left his distinctive marks in different fields. He was not only a great scholar, educationist, thinker, jurist and writer, but also a pro-active, dynamic personality achieving many milestones like founding schools, colleges and charitable institutions, providing leadership in all the major intellectual and socio political movements of the country, launching social and religious reforms and practicing altruism. However, towering above everything else, perhaps his monumental achievement was his vision of an independent, democratic and self-reliant Bangladesh and the unrelenting pursuit of that dream which became his life-long passion. While he saw his dream of Bangladesh fulfilled in his life time, his struggle to foster democracy and rule of law and establish an exploitation free and just society continued till he breathed his last.

It is unfortunate that Dr. Razee's unique contribution to the creation of Bangladesh and his role in the post independence era remain largely unrecognised and unacknowledged. It is our collective failure to pay the proper respect due to the illustrious sons of our soil and give them the place they deserve in the nation's history.

(The writer is an Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court)