Ahmed Sofa unmasked the intellectuals

“The Bengali Muslim society fears independent thought the most”—this comment was made by writer Ahmed Sofa. He made the remark in his essay “Bangali Musalmaner Mon” (The Mind of the Bengali Muslim). Explaining the context of the essay, his disciple, writer and professor Salimullah Khan, said, “The Bengali Muslim is not actually an ethnic group. It is the name of a particular class, who are Muslims and speak Bangla, and who suffer from an inferiority complex because of it. A specific section of the exploited class among Bengali and Muslim people, who have not overcome this inferiority complex, they are the Bengali Muslims. Even though times have changed, the crisis of this inferiority complex has not been resolved. This is why the poor state of the Bangla language at all levels still persists.”

Many literary critics consider Sofa’s book “Bangali Musalmaner Mon”, a collection of essays, to be one of the 10 most important works of thought written in Bangla in the past century. Not only that, in his book “Samprotik Bibechona: Buddhibrittir Notun Binyas” (Contemporary Reflections: A New Layout of Intellectualism), Ahmed Sofa wrote, “Had we listened to the intellectuals, Bangladesh would not have achieved independence. And if we listen to what they are saying now, there will be no radical change in the structure of Bangladeshi society. Previously, the intellectuals were Pakistanis, not out of conviction—but necessity. Now most have become Bengalis—also out of compulsion.”

In the same essay, he further wrote, “At present, the established intellectuals of our country are a mentally deranged class. They have always been accustomed to obeying orders. By instinct, they prefer fascist governments. Because only fascist governments pamper a few intellectuals with honorary titles. Through a small number of selected individuals, they run their propaganda and stifle the independent thought and life-force of the public. It is by such means that fascism takes strong hold in society. The traits of fascism are a lack of thought and arrogant expression devoid of imagination.” In another piece, Ahmed Sofa wrote, “What the state teaches always includes a certain portion of lies; this lie is deadly, with immense power to poison the human psyche.”

Just five years after the establishment of the state of Bangladesh, Sofa raised the question: “At present, the scholars, writers, professors, and political leaders who speak in favour of implementing the Bangla language in every sphere of life—writing articles, making statements in meetings, declaring themselves lovers of the Bangla language—if they are asked, ‘Which Bangla language are you proposing to implement? Isn’t it the Bangla spoken in Kolkata?’” He further asked, “If you say that unless the Kolkata Bangla is broken down, it will not be possible to create a Bangla suitable for the people of Bangladesh. What is your opinion on this?” On this matter, Sofa feared, “They will probably not be able to give any satisfactory answer.”

Sofa had a deep understanding of how profoundly ill the state of Bangladesh was. In 1999, at the Kolkata Book Fair, he gave an interview to the independent Bangla periodical of Kolkata. The interview was republished in three parts by Banglabazar Patrika in Bangladesh in the same year. In the interview, he said, “The politics of power in Bangladesh has turned into a musical chair of a vicious cycle.”

The interviewer asked, “The aims and dreams that inspired the Liberation War of 1971—how much of that dream has been fulfilled after 26 years of independence? Or how would you interpret this 26-year period?” In response, Ahmed Sofa said, “The first dream has indeed been realised. Bangladesh has been established as an independent state. Until independence, those who led the politics of Bengal were of the upper-class elite. Now, sons of the soil are entering politics. On the other hand, the worrying aspect is that an economic class has suddenly grown overnight. This economic class has developed through economic plunder and looting. The looting has been massive. I know a few individuals who didn’t even have Tk 25,000 during the Liberation War, but now their capital is Tk 2,500 crore. They have earned this money by using political power.”

“To understand the problem we are facing, a comparison with West Bengal may help. Before the 1996 assembly elections in West Bengal, in 1991, a man named Kalu Dom from Bardhaman defeated a national-level Congress leader. You won’t find such a scenario here. Because be it the Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party, or even Jamaat to some extent—all parties are running on illegally acquired money of the newly rich in Bangladesh,” he added.

“As a result, a public representative like Kalu Dom of West Bengal cannot make it to the parliament of Bangladesh. You may have noticed in newspapers the issue of loan defaulters. They have taken thousands of crores of taka in loans from banks and are not repaying. The banks cannot take action against them due to political interference. All bourgeois parties in Bangladesh are funded by their donations. Consequently, the parliamentary system that has developed in Bangladesh does not reflect the true thoughts, hopes, and aspirations of the people. You come to Dhaka and see two BNP MPs becoming ministers of the Awami League. While in power, BNP and Jatiya Party have also made ministers luring the MPs from other parties in the same way. Thus, politics of power in Bangladesh has become a vicious musical chair.”

It was Ahmed Sofa alone who could express such realities and truths by going deep into society, state, and thought. Sofa was at once a poet, fiction writer, organiser, and public intellectual. In his lifetime, many labelled him a rebel, a bohemian, or irreverent and critical toward the establishment. Ahmed Sofa, who had an anti-establishment mindset, rejected the Lekhak Shibir Award in 1975 and the Bangla Academy’s Sadat Ali Akhand Award in 1993. It is also heard that he once declined to meet the Prime Minister despite being summoned. However, in 2002 he was posthumously awarded the Ekushey Padak.

He is often regarded as the most important Bengali Muslim writer after Mir Mosharraf Hossain and Kazi Nazrul Islam. His writings gave the greatest prominence to defining the identity of the Bangladeshi nation. In short, he is considered one of the greatest essayists and novelists in the Bangla language. Humayun Ahmed described Ahmed Sofa as “an incredibly powerful writer” and referred to him as his mentor. Humayun Ahmed wrote about him, “In my youth, I found someone who was like a spiritual guide. We used to follow him in a group. When he spoke, we listened in awe. Late at night, walking around Nilkhet, he would raise both hands in a surge of emotion and shout, ‘My Bangladesh, My Bangladesh.’ We watched his passion and excitement with deep wonder. His name was Ahmed Sofa. He was our beloved Sofa Bhai.”

According to Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Ahmed Sofa was “a hundred percent genuine writer from the tip of his hair to the nail of his toe.” In his personal life, Ahmed Sofa remained unmarried. However, he had romantic relationships with a few women, most notably Shamim Shikdar and Suraiya Khanom. Based on these relationships, Sofa wrote the semi-autobiographical novel Ardhek Nari Ardhek Ishwari (Half Woman, Half Goddess) in 1996. Perhaps this is why Sofa wrote, "I didn't build a house, I didn't build a family."

Ahmed Sofa was born on 30 June 1943 at Gachhbaria village under Hashimpur union of Chandanaish upazila in Chattogram. His father was Hedayet Ali and mother Asiya Khatun. As a student, he became involved with the Krishak Samiti-NAP or the then underground Communist Party through Sudhanshu Bimal Dutta. In college, inspired by the revolutionary activities of Masterda Surya Sen, he and a few friends uprooted the Chattogram-Dohazari railway line. Later, to avoid arrest, he went into hiding in the Chittagong Hill Tracts for some time.

In 1971, he actively participated in the formation and activities of the Lekhak Sangram Shibir. On March 7, he published Protirodh, the “first newspaper of independent Bangladesh.” During the Liberation War, he moved to Kolkata in April. There, in support of the war, he edited a magazine named Dabanol. After independence, he returned to Bangladesh and resumed writing. In 1980, with the help of Daily Ittefaq journalist Nazimuddin Mostan, he established the Shilpi Sultan Kormo o Shikkha Kendra at Katabon slum in the capital. Later, in 1986, he obtained a diploma in the German language from the Goethe Institute, which later helped him translate Goethe’s immortal literary work Faust. The first book published in independent Bangladesh was Sofa’s essay collection Jagroto Bangladesh, brought out by Muktodhara.

Another of Sofa’s famous books is Gavi Brittantyo (A Tale of a Cow), published in 1995. The central setting of the novel is a public university, or as described in the novel, “the oldest and most prestigious university of the country,” and the main character is the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Mia Mohammad Abu Junaid. The events surrounding his appointment and the politics of faculty members before and after form the subject of the novel. Pushpa Brikkho ebong Bihongopuran (Flowers, Trees and the Myth of Birds) is another autobiographical novel by the writer. The Japanese translation of this novel was published in 1998. In this novel, through the imagery of flowers, trees, and birds, he dissected the so-called civil society.

Often, we fail to recognise a great writer even when he is close at hand. Ahmed Sofa was one such great writer. He had wise, sage-like, and saintly insight. Ahmed Sofa left a brilliant mark in nearly every branch of literature. He authored more than 30 books including stories, songs, novels, poems, essays, translations, history, and travelogues. During his lifetime, the publication of Ahmed Sofa Rachanabali (Collected Works of Ahmed Sofa) began. His collected works were published in nine volumes. Another popular book he wrote is Jadyapi Amar Guru (Though He Be My Teacher) about Professor Abdur Razzak.

On July 28, 2001, on the way to Dhaka Community Hospital while ill, this eminent writer passed away. Surprisingly, the next day, after his funeral prayers at the Dhaka University Mosque, he was buried beside the Intellectuals’ Graveyard in Mirpur with a plot bought for Tk 20,000 collected through donations. On the anniversary of his passing, our humble tribute to his memory.

Shahadat Hossain Touhid: Journalist