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{{short description|Bangladeshi Political leader (1880-1976)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Mazlum Jananeta
| name = Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani
| native_name = আব্দুল হামিদ খান ভাসানী
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = File:Maulana Bhasani in Havana, Cuba.jpg
| caption = Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani
| office1 = [[Parliament of Pakistan|Member of Parliament of Pakistan]]
| governor1 = [[Iskander Mirza]]
| term_start1 = 1954
| term_end1 = 1955
| office2 = [[Parliament of Bangladesh|Member of Parliament of Bangladesh]]
| president2 = [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]]
| term_start2 = 10 January 1973
| term_end2 = 15 August 1975
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1880|12|12|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Dhangara, [[Sirajganj District]], [[Bengal Presidency]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1976|11|17|1880|12|12|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh
| resting_place = [[Santosh, Bangladesh|Santosh]], [[Tangail]], [[Bangladesh]]<ref name=bpedia>{{cite book |last=Haq |first=Enamul |year=2012 |chapter=Bhasani, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bhasani,_Maulana_Abdul_Hamid_Khan |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>
| nationality = [[British Indian]] (1880–1947) [[Pakistan]]i (1947–1971) [[Bangladesh]]i (1971–1976)
| party = [[National Awami Party]] (since 1957) [[Bangladesh Awami League|Pakistan Awami League]] (1949–1957)
| parents =
}}
'''Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani''' (12 December 1880 – 17 November 1976), shortened as '''Maulana Bhashani''', was a [[Bengalis|Bengali]] politician. His political tenure spanned the British colonial India, Pakistan and Bangladesh periods.

Maulana Bhashani is popularly known with the honorary title '''Mozlum Jananeta''' (Leader of the Oppressed) for his lifelong stance for the poor suffered by establishment.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bhashani's anniversary of death today|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/city/bhasanis-41st-anniversary-death-today-1492483|website=The Daily Star|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref> He gained nationwide mass popularity among peasants and helped to build East Pakistan Peasant Association.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Uphoff|first1=Norman Thomas|author-link=Norman Uphoff|last2=Ilchman|first2=Warren Frederick|title=The Political Economy of Development: Theoretical and Empirical Contributions|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-05200-2062-7|pages=[https://archive.org/details/politicaleconomy00upho/page/168 168]|year=1972|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/politicaleconomy00upho/page/168}}</ref> Owing to his leaning to the left, often dubbed [[Islamic Socialism]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Khan|first1=Naveeda|title=Beyond Crisis: Re-evaluating Pakistan|date=2009|publisher=Routledge|pages=255|isbn=978-1-136-51758-7}}</ref><ref name="University of Chicago Press">{{cite book|last1=Iqtidar|first1=Humeira|year=2011|title=Secularizing Islamists?: Jama'at-e-Islami and Jama'at-ud-Da'wa in Urban Pakistan|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=9780226384702|pages=81}}</ref> he is also called 'The Red Maulana'.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Uddin|first1=Layli|title=Maulana Bhashani: The Lessons of Freedom|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/maulana-bhashani-the-lessons-freedom-175531|work=The Daily Star|date=20 November 2015|access-date=12 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Khan|first1=Zeeshan|title=Take me to my leader|url=http://www.dhakatribune.com/op-ed/2013/jun/09/take-me-my-leader|website=[[Dhaka Tribune]]|access-date=12 January 2016}}</ref>

An alumnus of [[Darul Uloom Deoband]], and participant of the [[Khilafat Movement]] protesting the [[dissolution of the Ottoman Empire]] he led the Muslims of Assam in a successful campaign during the [[1947 Sylhet Referendum]], through which Sylhet chose to become part of the Pakistan national project. He was the founder and President of the Pakistan Awami Muslim League which later became [[Awami League]] (AL). Later however, owing to differences with the right-leaning leaders in the AML, such as [[Hussein Shahid Suhrawardy|Shahid Suhrawardy]], on the issue of [[autonomy for East Pakistan]], he formed a new progressive party called [[National Awami Party]] (NAP). He also differed with Suhrawardhy when he as Prime Minister of [[Pakistan]] decided to join the US-led defence pact [[CENTO]] and [[SEATO]]. He disagreed with Pakistan's growing ties with the United States.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rahman |first1=Syedur |year=2010 |title=Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh |publisher=Scarecrow Press |pages=51 |isbn=978-0-8108-7453-4}}</ref>

The split among the left-wing camp into pro-Moscow and pro-Peking factions eventually led to the breakup of NAP into two separate parties; the pro-Moscow faction being led by Muzaffar Ahmed. After [[Pakistan's 1965 war with India]], he showed some support for Field Marshal [[Ayub Khan (Field Marshal)|Ayub Khan]]'s regime for its China-leaning foreign policy; but later he provided leadership to a mass uprising against the regime in 1968–69 with support from [[Fatima Jinnah]].{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

American journalist Dan Coggin, writing for ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', credited Bhashani, "as much as any one man", for instigating the [[1969 Mass uprising in East Pakistan]] that culminated in the collapse of the Ayub Khan regime<ref name="time" /> and the release of [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] and the others accused in the [[Agartala conspiracy case]].{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} According to lay author S. Akhtar Ehtisham, Bhashani's decision to boycott the [[1970 Pakistan general elections]] effectively led to the electoral sweep by his erstwhile opponent Mujibur Rahman. The Awami League, without any viable opposition in [[East Pakistan]], won 160 of the 162 seats in the province and thus gained the majority in the Pakistan national assembly.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ehtisham |first1=S. Akhtar |year=2008 |title=A Medical Doctor Examines Life on Three Continents: A Pakistani View |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TNNMoORpiTcC&pg=PG105 |publisher=Algora Publishing |page=105 |isbn=978-0-87586-635-2}}</ref>

==Early life==
Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani was born in Dhangara village in [[Sirajganj District|Sirajganj]], [[Bengal Presidency]] in the year 1880. {{Citation needed|date= January 2020}} He was the son of Sharafat Ali Khan. Between 1907 and 1909 he received religious education at the [[Darul Uloom Deoband]]. The association of [[Mahmud Hasan Deobandi]] and other progressive Islamic thinkers inspired Bhashani against [[British imperialism]]. In 1909 he started teaching in a primary school at Kagmaree, [[Tangail]]. {{Citation needed|date= January 2020}}

==Political career==
===British period===
In 1917, Bhashani was inducted into active politics and joined the Nationalist party led by [[Desbandhu Chittaranjan Das]] as an activist. Inspired by [[Mohammad Ali Jauhar]], he joined the [[Indian National Congress]] in 1919. In 1920 he was arrested and imprisoned. After being released, he participated in the [[Khilafat movement]]. In 1921 he participated in Das' [[Non-Cooperation Movement]] against British imperialism. He suffered imprisonment for some days at that time along with his large numbers of followers. He joined the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] in 1930. He was elected a MLA in [[Assam Province|Assam]] Legislative Assembly from Dhubri (South) constituency in 1937 and served till 1946.<ref>[http://www.assamassembly.gov.in/ala-since-1937.html List of Members of Assam Legislative Assembly Since 1937] Government of India.</ref> In April 1944 he was elected president of the Muslim League at its [[Barpeta]] session where after he devoted himself to the [[Pakistan Movement]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.muktadhara.net/page27.html |title=Biography of Bhashani |website=Muktadhara |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419155157/http://www.muktadhara.net/page27.html |archive-date=19 April 2014}}</ref>

===Early Pakistan days===
After the establishment of [[India]] and [[Pakistan]] in 1947, following the exit of the British, Bhashani planned his anti-establishment course of action. On 23 June 1949, he founded East Pakistan Awami Muslim League. {{Citation needed|date= January 2020}} Bhasani was elected its president with [[Shamsul Huq]] as its General Secretary. On 24 July 1949 he organized the first meeting of [[All Pakistan Awami Muslim League|Awami Muslim League]] at [[Armanitola]], [[Dhaka]], in which [[Yar Mohammad Khan]] contributed and finally established the party inside Dhaka city. {{Citation needed|date= January 2020}}

[[File:21feb1956 Shaheed Minar Dhaka.png|thumb|Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani after the foundation stone laying program for [[Shaheed_Minar,_Dhaka|Shahid Minar (Martyrs' monument)]].]]
On 31 January 1952 he formed the "All Party Language movement Committee" at the Dhaka Bar Library. He campaigned for the recognition of Bangla as a national language in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tirmizi|first1=Farooq|title=The sad history of International Mother Tongue Day|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/121515/the-sad-history-of-international-mother-tongue-day/|work=[[The Express Tribune]]|date=21 February 2011|access-date=24 January 2016}}</ref> The National Democratic Front was established under his leadership on 4 December 1953. He renamed [[Bangladesh Awami League|Awami Muslim League]] as the [[Awami League]] by removing "Muslim" from its official name in the council session of Awami League held on 21–23 October 1953. {{Citation needed|date= January 2020}}

The [[Muslim League (Pakistan)|Muslim League]] Government both in the centre and the province of East Pakistan lost considerable popularity after the [[Bengali language movement|Language Movement]] of 1952. It was seen as not being capable or interested in protecting the interest of [[East Pakistan]]. In 1954, election was going to be held in the province and a new political party emerged to challenge the Muslim League. It was called [[United Front (East Pakistan)|United Front]] and comprised the party of Bhashani and the [[Krishak Sramik Party]] of [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]], former Prime Minister of [[Bengal]]. The Awami League, under [[Shahid Suhrawardy]] also joined the alliance. The United Front won the provincial election in East Pakistan by defeating the Muslim league.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Haque|first1=Syed Badrul|title=Remembering Sher-e-Bangla|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/remembering-sher-e-bangla-47536|work=The Daily Star|date=26 October 2014|access-date=11 January 2016}}</ref>

In the elections of 1954, Jukta Front successfully defeated Muslim League and its leader Prime minister [[Nurul Amin]] lost his parliament seat to a young student leader Mr. Khaleque Nawaz Khan and Jukta Front formed the provincial government of East Pakistan. However, the government was arbitrarily dismissed.{{Citation needed|date= January 2013}}

In May 1954 he went to [[Stockholm]]. He was barred from returning to [[East Pakistan]] by the government of [[Iskander Mirza]] and branded a communist.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hossain |first1=Mokerrom |year=2010 |title=From Protest to Freedom: A Book for the New Generation: the Birth of Bangladesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Vt3KxEBYk0C&pg=PA127 |publisher=Shahitya Prakash |pages=127 |isbn=978-0-615-48695-6}}</ref> In 1956 Bhashani went on a hunger strike in demand of food for the famine affected people from 7 to 23 May.

During the Kagmaree Conference of Awami League held on 7–8 February 1957, Bhashani left the [[West Pakistani]] authority which acted negatively against East Pakistan.<ref name="Bangladesh: Past and Present">{{cite book |last1=Ahmed |first1=Salahuddin |year=2004 |title=Bangladesh: Past and Present |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=9788176484695}}</ref> On 24–25 July 1957, Bhashani convened the conference of All Pakistan Democratic Activists. On 25 July he formed the East Pakistan National Awami Party (NAP). Bhashani was elected the President with Mahmudul Huq Osmani, the General Secretary.
[[1965 Pakistani presidential election]]

According to Ehtisham, Bhashani played a crucial role in the opposition decision to nominate Fatima Jinnah, instead of [[Azam Khan (general)|Azam Khan]]. Fatima Jinnah was initially scornful of an opposition attempt to nominate her, however on Bhashanis personal intervention, she agreed to be their joint candidate.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ehtisham |first=S. Akhtar |date=2008 |title=A Medical Doctor Examines Life on Three Continents: A Pakistani View |publisher=Algora Publishing |page=66 |isbn=978-0-87586-634-5 |quote=Bhashani proposed the name of Miss Fatima Jinnah ... But she despised the opposition leaders ... and summarily dismissed them, telling them that if they had not perversely and ineptly dragged the country to the current deplorable state, they would not be begging her at her age to contest an election ... Bhashani ... was perhaps the only person in the ranks of the opposition for whom she had some respect. He went to see Miss Jinnah alone ... He played on the elderly lady's heart strings, telling her ... your brother made Pakistan, it is up to you to save it ... Miss Jinnah agreed to don the mantle of the savior.}}</ref>

Despite this pledged support for [[Fatima Jinnah]], Bhashani is controversially alleged to have become inactive during the opposition Presidential campaign ostensibly because of [[Ayub Khan (general)|Ayub Khan]]'s pro-China leanings; [[Sherbaz Khan Mazari]] later alleged that Bashani was bribed by [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Mazari |first=Sherbaz Khan |author-link=Sherbaz Khan Mazari |date=1999 |title=A Journey to Disillusionment |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Karachi |page=150 |isbn=978-0-19-579076-4 |quote="Bashani was the first to back out on Miss Jinnah. His excuse at that time was that as China (his party's overseas mentor) had friendly relations with Ayub Khan's regime, he was not in a position to oppose Ayub Khan. Later, however it became an open secret that Bhutto ... bribed Bashani with Rs 500,000 to ensure withdrawal of his support from the COP. Some years later I confronted Bashani with this accusation. The Maulana did not bother to deny it."}}</ref>

He organized the Cooperative for the Cultivators of East Pakistan on 2–3 January 1968. He was elected the founder chairman. On 15 June 1968 Bhashani founded the Cooperative for the Provincial Fish Tradesmen at Dhaka Bar library. On 12 October of the same year, he was arrested by President General [[Ayub Khan (Field Marshal)|Ayub Khan]]'s government from the Mirzapur hospital, [[Tangail]].{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

In 1967 Bhashani protested against the governmental ban against [[Rabindranath Tagore]].{{citation needed|date=November 2015}} In 1969 Bhashani launched a movement for the withdrawal of the [[Agartala Conspiracy Case]] and the release of [[Sheikh Mujib]].{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} American journalist Dan Coggin, writing for ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', credited Bhashani, "as much as any one man", for instigating the [[1969 Mass uprising in East Pakistan]] that culminated in the collapse of the Ayub Khan regime.<ref name="time">{{cite magazine |last=Coggin |first=Dan |date=18 April 1969 |title=Prophet of Violence |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,844753-1,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930203937/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,844753-1,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 September 2007 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |page=41 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1970 Bhasani called for the Independence of East Pakistan as per the 1940 [[Lahore Resolution]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jalal|first1=Ayesha|year=2014|title=The Struggle for Pakistan: A Muslim Homeland and Global Politics|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=9780674744998|pages=158}}</ref> When the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] started on 26 March 1971, Bhasani was confined in India. He was returned by the [[Indian Army]] to Bangladesh just after the war ended.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

Bhasani with his National Awami party had organised an International Kisan conference from 23–25 March 1970 in [[Toba Tek Singh District]]. In the conference he asked the [[Government of Pakistan]] to hold a referendum, asking the population if they wanted [[Islamic Socialism]]. He warned that there might be guerrilla warfare if the military government failed to do so.<ref name="University of Chicago Press"/>

==War of Independence 1971==

Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani was the Chairman of Sorbodoliyo Songram Parisad in 1971. He has seen the dream of Bangladesh.
Bhashani asked China to aid Bangladesh in the liberation war. His request was not answered by China.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ahsan|first1=Syed Badrul|title=March 26, 1971 … and after|url=http://opinion.bdnews24.com/2015/03/26/march-26-1971-and-after/|website=bdnews24.com|type=Opinion|date=26 March 2015|access-date=24 January 2016}}</ref>

==Career in independent Bangladesh==
Bhashani wanted to play the role of a responsible opposition. The progressive forces quickly gathered around him and strengthened his NAP with Kazi Zafar Ahmed as its General Secretary. But soon factional differences among the progressive forces emerged and weakened Bhashani.

The most significant political magnificence of Bhasani after the independence is that, at the desire of Bangabandhu's participation in the OIC's Islamic Conference held in Pakistan in 1974, he gathered Maulana Bashani's public support in a meeting in Paltan ground. Earlier to this, the former minister Sohrab Hossain of public works was in coordination, after that Mujib engaged his trusted person Barrister [[Syed Kamrul Islam Mohommod Salehuddin]] an opposition Member of Parliament independently elected from Faridpur then joined in NAP Bhasani into this matter to contact Bhasani. Barrister Salehuddin took his friend journalist [[Fazle Lohani]] and chairman of National People's Party [[Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu]] towards Santosh Tangail, that has been referred in the book: 'Pakistan to Bangladesh: Politics of 43 years' by Nilu too.(Edited)<ref>'Barrister Salehuddin sent Sir Thomas to defend Bangabandhu' —By Muhammad Ali Bukhari Dhaka:Our Time,06/01/2016. Web:OurtimeBD.com -06.01.2016</ref>

He was highly critical of the oppressive style of the [[Awami League]] and [[BAKSAL]] government.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nair|first1=P. Sukumaran|year=2008|title=Indo-Bangladesh Relations|publisher=APH Publishing|pages=54|isbn=9788131304082}}</ref> He also warned Sheikh Mujibur Rahman against his move towards a one party state and declaring himself as lifelong president. Bhashani was deeply shocked at the killing of Mujib, for whom he had a lot of fatherly affection, and his family members. The person who conveyed the news of Mujib's demise described how Bhashani cried and then went to his prayer room to offer prayer.

In May 1976 he led a [[Farakka Long March|massive Long March]] demanding demolition of the [[Farakka Barrage]] constructed by [[India]] to divert flow of [[Ganges]] waters inside its territory, triggering the drying up of river [[Padma]] and [[desertification]] of Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bhasani.com/ |title=Bhasani's Farakka Long March |website=Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani by Enamul Haq |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910120251/http://www.bhasani.com/ |archive-date=10 September 2011}}</ref> It was the first popular movement against India demanding a rightful distribution of the Ganges's water.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 May 2010 |title=Farakka Day Today |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-226773672.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220150906/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-226773672.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 February 2016 |newspaper=The New Nation |location=Dhaka |via=[[HighBeam Research]] |url-access=subscription |quote=The Long March was the first popular movement against India demanding a rightful distribution of the water of Ganges.}}</ref> Since then Historic Farakka Long March Day is observed on 16 March every year in Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite news |date=15 May 2006 |title=30th Anniversary of Farakka Long March |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2006/05/15/d60515061387.htm |newspaper=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]] |location=Dhaka}}</ref>

At the time, the government of Bangladesh unofficially supported Bhashani's Farakka Long March. Navy-chief Rear Admiral [[M. H. Khan]] in charge of providing logistics. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life from all over the country gathered in [[Rajshahi]] town to participate in the Long March.

On the morning of 16 March 1976, he addressed a gathering of people at the Madrash Maidan, [[Rajshahi]], from where the Long March commenced. Hundreds of thousands of people walked more than 100 kilometers on foot for days. The March continued up to Kansat, a place near the India-Bangladesh border, close to the Farakka barrage.

==Political philosophy==

In the early 1950s he felt that an integrated Pakistan was no longer maintainable with hegemony of [[West Pakistan]]. At the Kagmari Conference, he bade farewell to West Pakistan by saying ''Assalamu Alaikum'' which soon became a reference quote.<ref name="Bangladesh: Past and Present"/> He declined to participate in the national election of 1970 saying that it will only help perpetuate rule by West Pakistan. Since 1969 his favourite slogans were ''Swadhin Bangla Zindabad'' and ''Azad Bangla Zindabad''. His dream of an independent Purba Bangla (East Bengal) came true when Bangladesh was established as an independent nation-state in 1971. He advocated for the separation of the State and religion. He was a pious Muslim who was in favor of socialism. He spoke out against [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami]] and its politics.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McDermott|first1=Rachel Fell|year=2014|title=Sources of Indian Tradition: Modern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh|publisher=Columbia University Press|pages=883|isbn=978-0-231-51092-9}}</ref>

Bhashani proposed revolutionary ideas regarding [[political Islam]]. Due to his [[Sufi]] training under Nasiruddin Baghdadi, he developed the concept of ''Rububuiyat.''

Bhashani was known to have a Chinese connection and was the leader of pro-Chinese politicians of East Pakistan. During the 1965 war between Pakistan and India, Bhashani disappeared for several days. It is said {{By whom|date= September 2012}} that he flew from Panchbibi, [[Bogra]] to China, at the behest of president Field Marshal Ayub Khan, to secure support of China for Pakistan.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}}

==Journalism==

''[[The Daily Ittefaq]]'' has been the most popular [[Bengali language|Bengali]] newspaper of Bangladesh since the early 1970s. However its precursor is ''Weekly Ittefaq''. After the British left South Asia in 1947, [[Muslim League (Pakistan)|Muslim League]] emerged as the government political party. Soon opposition movement started and a political party named [[Bangladesh Awami League|Awami Muslim League]] was founded with Bhashani as one of the central figures. Against this backdrop Bhashani and [[Yar Mohammad Khan]] started publishing the ''Weekly Ittefaq'' in 1949. The popular weekly publication was a critique of the Muslim League government.<ref>{{cite book |last=Anwar |first=M Tawhidul |year=2012 |chapter=Press and Politics |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Press_and_Politics |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> The journalist [[Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah]] worked as its editor. Manik Miah took over the paper as its editor and publisher on 14 August 1951.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jahangir|first1=Muhammad|title=Manik Miah: A Legendary Journalist|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/op-ed/manik-miah-legendary-journalist-97522|work=The Daily Star|type=Op-ed|date=15 June 2015|access-date=23 January 2016}}</ref>

On 25 February 1972, Bhashani started publishing a weekly ''Haq Katha'' and it soon gained wide circulation. It was outspoken about the irregularities and misrule of Awami League government established after independence of Bangladesh. It was a pro-Chinese and socialist weekly. The weekly was banned by Sheikh Mujib. It was edited by Irfanul Bari, Bhashani's subordinate.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jones|first1=Derek|year=2001|title=Censorship: A World Encyclopedia|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781136798634|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzisCQAAQBAJ&q=Weekly+Haq+Katha&pg=PT863|access-date=23 January 2016|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:মাওলানা আবদুল হামিদ খান ভাসানীর মাজার.JPG|thumb|[[Mazar (mausoleum)]] of Bhashani and his wife.]]
==Death==
He died on 17 November 1976 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, aged 96, and was buried at [[Santosh, Bangladesh|Santosh]], [[Tangail]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bhashani's 39th death anniversary observed|url=http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/nov/18/bhashanis-39th-death-anniversary-observed|work=Dhaka Tribune}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Bhashani is regarded as the proponent of anti-imperialist, non-communal and left-leaning politics by his admirers in present-day Bangladesh and beyond.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.petercusters.nl/index.php?topic=bangladesh |title=Essays and Reports on Bangladesh |website=Peter Custers on Bhashani}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-08-17|title=Who Said What After August 15|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/who-said-what-after-august-15-37449|access-date=2020-06-20|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> In 2013, the Awami League Government of Bangladesh reduced his presence in school curricula.<ref>{{cite news |last=Alamgir |first=Mohiuddin |date=14 January 2013 |title=Bhashani dropped from Bangla textbooks |url=http://old-archives.newagebd.net/detail.php?date=2013-01-14&nid=36725 |newspaper=New Age |location=Dhaka |access-date=10 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211003431/http://old-archives.newagebd.net/detail.php?date=2013-01-14&nid=36725 |archive-date=11 December 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2004, Bhashani was ranked number 8 in BBC's poll of the [[Greatest Bengali of all time]].<ref name="ISB1">—{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3623345.stm|title=Listeners name 'greatest Bengali'|date=14 April 2004|access-date=16 April 2018|work=BBC}} —{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/17/stories/2004041703001700.htm|title=International : Mujib, Tagore, Bose among 'greatest Bengalis of all time'|date=17 April 2004|last1=Habib|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|first1=Haroon}} —{{Cite web|url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2004/04/16/d4041601066.htm|title=Bangabandhu judged greatest Bangali of all time|work=The Daily Star |date=16 April 2004}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|40em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani}}
* [https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/bengali_poems/almahmud1.html&date=2009-10-25+13:24:10 Bhasani — Reminiscence of a missing mountain], poem by [[Al Mahmud]]

{{Presidents of Awami League}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhashani, Abdul Hamid Khan}}
[[Category:1880 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Tangail District]]
[[Category:People from Dhaka]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi Muslims]]
[[Category:Bengali Muslims]]
[[Category:Sunni Muslims]]
[[Category:20th-century Bengalis]]
[[Category:19th-century Bengalis]]
[[Category:Awami League politicians]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Independence Day Award]]
[[Category:Pakistan Movement activists from Bengal]]
[[Category:National Awami Party politicians]]
[[Category:All India Muslim League members]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Awami League]]
[[Category:Pakistani MNAs 1955–1958]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi political party founders]]
[[Category:Muslim socialists]]

Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani - Revision history

Joann47Q9259: updated details

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