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{{short description|Bangladeshi politician}}
{{Short description|Bangladeshi politician (1900–1986)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[Mawlana]]  
| honorific_prefix   = [[Mawlana]]
| name       = Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish
| name               = Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish
| birth_name = Khandakar Abdur Rashid
| birth_name         = Khandakar Sayed Abdur Rashid
| birth_date ={{birth date|df=y|1900|11|27}}
| birth_date         = {{birth date|df=y|1900|11|27}}
| birth_place = [[Ullahpara|Tarutia]], [[Sirajganj District|Sirajganj]], [[Bengal Presidency]]
| birth_place         = [[Ullahpara|Salanga]], [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1986|08|20|1900|11|27}}
| death_date         = {{death date and age|df=y|1986|08|20|1900|11|27}}
| death_place = [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]]
| death_place         = [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh
| party       = [[All-India Muslim League]] <small>(1936–1947)</small><br>[[Muslim League (Pakistan)|Muslim League]] <small>(1947–1952)</small><br>[[Awami League]] <small>(1952–1975)</small><br>[[Gano Azadi League]] <small>(1976–1986)</small>
| party               = [[All-India Muslim League]] (1936–1947)<br />[[Muslim League (Pakistan)|Muslim League]] (1947–1952)<br />[[Awami League]] (1952–1975)<br />[[Gano Azadi League]] (1976–1986)
| office2     = Member of the [[Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh]]
| office              = 3rd [[Awami League#President and general secretary of the AL, 1949–present|President of Awami League]]
| termstart2 = 1971
| termstart          = 10 October 1957
| termend2   = 1973
| termend            = 25 January 1966
| constituency2 = [[Sirajganj-4|NE-25 (Pabna-II)]]
| predecessor        = [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]]
| office3     = Member of the [[National Assembly of Pakistan]]
| successor          = [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]]
| termstart3 = 1955
| 1blankname          = General Secretary
| termend3   = 1958
| 1namedata          = [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]]
| office4     = Member of the [[Constituent Assembly of Pakistan]]
| office2             = Member of the [[Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh]]
| termstart4 = 10 August 1947
| termstart2         = 1971
| termend4   = 24 October 1954
| termend2           = 1973
| office5     = Member of the [[Bengal Legislative Assembly]]
| constituency2       = [[Sirajganj-4|NE-25 (Pabna-II)]]
| termstart5 = 1937
| office3             = Member of the [[National Assembly of Pakistan]]
| termend5   = 1945
| termstart3         = 1955
| module = {{Infobox religious biography | embed = yes
| termend3           = 1958
| office4             = Member of the [[Constituent Assembly of Pakistan]]
| termstart4         = 10 August 1947
| termend4           = 24 October 1954
| office5             = Member of the [[Bengal Legislative Assembly (1937—1947)|Bengal Legislative Assembly]]
| termstart5         = 1937
| termend5           = 1945
| module             = {{Infobox religious biography | embed = yes
| religion = [[Islam]]
| religion = [[Islam]]
| denomination = [[Sunni]]
| denomination = [[Sunni]]
| jurisprudence = [[Hanafi]]
| jurisprudence = [[Hanafi]]
| movement = [[Deobandi]]
| movement = [[Deobandi]]
| lineage = [[Abdul Qadir Gilani]]
| education = [[Darul Uloom Deoband]]<br />[[Mazahir Uloom]]
| education = [[Darul Uloom Deoband]]<br>[[Mazahir Uloom]]
| module = {{Infobox Arabic name|embed=yes
| module = {{Infobox Arabic name|embed=yes
| ism = ʿAbd al-Rashīd<br/>عبد الرشيد
| ism = ʿAbd al-Rashīd<br />عبد الرشيد
| nasab = ibn Abī Isḥāq<br/>إبن أبي إسحاق
| nasab = ibn Abī Isḥāq<br />إبن أبي إسحاق
| laqab = Tarkabāghīsh<br>تركباغيش
| laqab = Tarkabāghīsh<br />تركباغيش }}}}
| nisba = Khūndakār<br>خوندكار<br>as-Sayyid<br>السيد}}}}
| image              =
}}
}}
'''Khandakar Abdur Rashid''' ({{lang-bn|খন্দকার আব্দুর রশীদ}}), better known as '''Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish''' ({{lang-bn|আব্দুর রশীদ তর্কবাগীশ}}; 27 November 1900 – 20 August 1986) was a [[Bangladeshi]] politician and [[Islamic scholar]]. His career spans from the [[Indian independence movement|anti-colonial independence movement]] to the establishment of both Pakistan and Bangladesh. Tarkabagish was the second president of the [[All Pakistan Awami Muslim League]], and served as a member of the [[National Assembly of Pakistan]] and later the [[Parliament of Bangladesh]]. Despite being a member of the treasury bench, he opposed what he considered to be the repressive mentality of the [[Nurul Amin]] government towards the [[Bengali Language Movement]].<ref name=Bpedia/>
'''Khandakar Abdur Rashid''' ({{langx|bn|খন্দকার আব্দুর রশীদ}}), better known as '''Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish''' ({{langx|bn|আব্দুর রশীদ তর্কবাগীশ}}; 27 November 1900 – 20 August 1986) was a [[Bangladeshi]] politician and [[Islamic scholar]]. His career spans from the [[Indian independence movement|anti-colonial independence movement]] to the establishment of both Pakistan and Bangladesh. Tarkabagish was the second president of the [[All Pakistan Awami Muslim League]], and served as a member of the [[National Assembly of Pakistan]] and later the [[Parliament of Bangladesh]]. Despite being a member of the treasury bench, he opposed what he considered to be the repressive mentality of the [[Nurul Amin]] government towards the [[Bengali language movement]].<ref name=Bpedia/>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Khandakar Abdur Rashid was born on 27 November 1900 to a scholarly [[Bengali Muslim]] family of [[Khandakar]]s in the village of Tarutia situated in [[Ullahpara]], [[Sirajganj District|Sirajganj]] (then under the [[Pabna District]] of the [[Bengal Presidency]]). His father, Khandakar Abu Ishaq, traces his lineage to Shah Syed Darwish Mahmud, a Muslim preacher descended from [[Abdul Qadir Gilani]], who had arrived in the region from [[Baghdad]] in 1303.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.daily-sun.com/details_yes_27-11-2011_Birth-anniversary-of-Abdur-Rashid-Tarkabagish_416_1_10_1_14.html |title=Birth anniversary of Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish |accessdate=2012-03-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515110335/http://www.daily-sun.com/details_yes_27-11-2011_Birth-anniversary-of-Abdur-Rashid-Tarkabagish_416_1_10_1_14.html |archivedate=2013-05-15 }}</ref>
Khandakar Sayed Abdur Rashid was born on 27 November 1900 to an aristocratic [[Bengali Muslim]] ''[[Sayyid|Sayed]] [[Pir (Sufism)|Peer]]'' family titled ''[[Khandakar]]'' in the village of Tarutia situated in [[Ullahpara]], [[Sirajganj District|Sirajganj]] (then under the [[Pabna District]] of the [[Bengal Presidency]]).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dutta |first=Pradip Kumar |title=An almost forgotten part of our glorious past |url=http://dailyasianage.com/news/236116/?regenerate |access-date=2024-03-16 |work=The Asian Age |location=Bangladesh |language=en}}</ref>  His father, Sayed Abu Ishaq Khandakar, traces his lineage to ''Shah Darwish Dewan'' Sayed Mahmud, a [[Sufi Muslim]] figure claimed to be descended from [[Husayn ibn Ali|Imam Husayn]] through his son [[Ali al-Sajjad|Imam Zayn Al Abedin]], who had arrived in the region from [[Baghdad]] during 1303 AD, he was a follower of the ''[[Tariqa]]h'' of [[Abdul Qadir Gilani|Sayed Abdul Qadir Jilani]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.daily-sun.com/details_yes_27-11-2011_Birth-anniversary-of-Abdur-Rashid-Tarkabagish_416_1_10_1_14.html |title=Birth anniversary of Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish |work=Daily Sun |accessdate=2012-03-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515110335/http://www.daily-sun.com/details_yes_27-11-2011_Birth-anniversary-of-Abdur-Rashid-Tarkabagish_416_1_10_1_14.html |archivedate=2013-05-15}}</ref>


From an early age, he developed a sense of patriotism. At the age of thirteen, he assembled helpless milk sellers against the local ''[[zamindar]]s'' and ''[[mahajan]]s'' and demanded that they pay them a fair price for milk. By the age of twenty-one, he was leading marchers in a non-violent protest for independence at the Salanga bazaar in [[Raiganj Upazila|Raiganj]], when the crowd was fired upon, killing hundreds of people.<ref>[https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/news/the-salanga-massacre-1922-bangladeshs-forgotten-bloodbath-1692412 "The Salanga Massacre of 1922: Bangladesh's forgotten bloodbath"], by Shahnawaz Khan Chandan, [[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|''The Daily Star'']] (Dhaka, Bangladesh), January 25, 2019</ref> The events of 27 January 1922 are now referred to as the [[Salanga massacre]] in [[Bangladesh]], and memorialised by "Salanga Day" annually.<ref>[https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-73153 "Salanga Day today"], ''The Daily Star'' (Dhaka, Bangladesh), January 27, 2009</ref>
From an early age, he developed a sense of patriotism. At the age of thirteen, he assembled helpless milk sellers against the local ''[[zamindar]]s'' and ''[[mahajan]]s'' and demanded that they pay them a fair price for milk. By the age of twenty-one, he was leading marchers in a non-violent protest for independence at the Salanga bazaar in [[Raiganj Upazila|Raiganj]], when the crowd was fired upon, killing hundreds of people.<ref>[https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/news/the-salanga-massacre-1922-bangladeshs-forgotten-bloodbath-1692412 "The Salanga Massacre of 1922: Bangladesh's forgotten bloodbath"], by Shahnawaz Khan Chandan, [[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|''The Daily Star'']] (Dhaka, Bangladesh), 25 January 2019</ref> The events of 27 January 1922 are now referred to as the [[Salanga massacre]] in Bangladesh, and memorialised by "Salanga Day" annually.<ref>[https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-73153 "Salanga Day today"], ''The Daily Star'' (Dhaka, Bangladesh), 27 January 2009</ref>


He later decided to pursue higher [[Islamic studies]], and thus entered the [[United Provinces of British India|United Provinces]] and [[Lahore]], where was educated in [[Deobandi]] institutions such as [[Darul Uloom Deoband]] and [[Mazahir Uloom]]. He received his degree in logic and reasoning (''tarka'') and was honoured with the title of Tarkabagish (master of reasoning).
He later decided to pursue higher [[Islamic studies]], and thus entered the [[United Provinces of British India|United Provinces]] and [[Lahore]], where was educated in [[Deobandi]] institutions such as [[Darul Uloom Deoband]] and [[Mazahir Uloom]]. He received his degree in logic and reasoning (''tarka'') and was honoured with the title of Tarkabagish (master of reasoning).{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}


==Political career==
==Political career==
Tarkabagish joined the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] in 1936. From the party he participated in the election and earned his place in the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1937 and in 1946. At the budget session of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly on the 21st of February 1952, Tarkabagish heavily criticized the killing of several protesters near Dhaka Medical College.<ref name=Bpedia>{{cite Banglapedia|author=Kader, Rozina|article=Tarkabagish, Maulana Abdur Rashid}}</ref>
Tarkabagish joined the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] in 1936. From the party he participated in the election and earned his place in the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1937 and in 1946. At the budget session of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly on 21 February 1952, Tarkabagish heavily criticized the killing of several protesters near Dhaka Medical College.<ref name=Bpedia>{{cite Banglapedia |author=Kader, Rozina |article=Tarkabagish, Maulana Abdur Rashid}}</ref>


Tarkabagish asked the leader of the house, Nurul Amin, to formulate an inquiry and to visit to the wounded students before proceeding the session. But as Amin refused the proposal, he walked out of the assembly<ref name="Al2003">{{Harv|Al Helal|2003|pp=373–393}}</ref> and subsequently retired from Muslim League Parliamentary Party on February 23, 1952.<ref>{{Citation
[[File:Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish at a meeting with Mujib and Tajuddin.jpg|thumb|Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish at a meeting with Mujib and Tajuddin]]
  |title=none| newspaper =[[The Azad]] (a daily newspaper) | language = Bengali| publisher =Abul Kalam Shamsuddin, Dhaka | date =December 11, 1948}}</ref> He also expressed gratitude to the dead and wounded activists of the movement.<ref name="Al2003" /><ref>{{Citation
  |title=none| newspaper =Daily Insaf (a daily newspaper) | language = Bengali| publisher = Dhaka | date =February 24, 1952}}</ref>


Tarkabagish protested the police firing on and killing of students on 21 February 1952, in the assembly. He also made his speech in [[Bengali language|Bengali]] to respect his mother tongue and martyrs of the [[Bengali Language Movement|language movement]]. He was arrested on February 23 and kept in jail until June 1.<ref name="Bpedia"/> Then he joined Awami Muslim League (now the [[Awami League]]) and was again elected a member of the assembly in 1954 from [[United Front (East Pakistan)|United Front]]. He was also elected as the member of the [[Constituent Assembly of Pakistan]] in 1956.<ref name="Bpedia"/>
Tarkabagish asked the leader of the house, Nurul Amin, to formulate an inquiry and to visit to the wounded students before proceeding the session. But as Amin refused the proposal, he walked out of the assembly<ref name="Al2003">{{Harv|Al Helal|2003|pp=373–393}}</ref> and subsequently retired from Muslim League Parliamentary Party on 23 February 1952.<ref>{{Citation |title=none |newspaper=[[The Azad]] (a daily newspaper) |language=bn |publisher=Abul Kalam Shamsuddin, Dhaka |date=11 December 1948}}</ref> He also expressed gratitude to the dead and wounded activists of the movement.<ref name="Al2003" /><ref>{{Citation |title=none |newspaper=Daily Insaf (a daily newspaper) |language=bn |publisher=Dhaka |date=24 February 1952}}</ref>


Tarkabagish was elected as the acting president of the [[Awami League]] in 1957, and then the president of the [[Awami League]] from 1964, a position in which he served till 1967.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Staff Correspondent|last2=bdnews24.com|title=Awami League National Councils in 67 years|url=https://bdnews24.com/politics/2016/10/22/awami-league-national-councils-in-67-years|access-date=2020-06-20|website=bdnews24.com}}</ref>
Tarkabagish protested the police firing on and killing of students on 21 February 1952, in the assembly. He also made his speech in [[Bengali language|Bengali]] to respect his mother tongue and martyrs of the [[Bengali Language Movement|language movement]]. He was arrested on 23 February and kept in jail until 1 June.<ref name="Bpedia"/> Then he joined Awami Muslim League (now the [[Awami League]]) and was again elected a member of the assembly in 1954 from [[United Front (East Pakistan)|United Front]]. He was also elected as the member of the [[Constituent Assembly of Pakistan]] in 1956.<ref name="Bpedia"/>
 
Tarkabagish was elected as the acting president of the [[Awami League]] in 1957, and then the president of the [[Awami League]] from 1964, a position in which he served till 1967.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Awami League National Councils in 67 years |url=https://bdnews24.com/politics/awami-league-national-councils-in-67-years |access-date=2020-06-20 |work=bdnews24.com |date=22 October 2016}}</ref>


===After the independence of Bangladesh===
===After the independence of Bangladesh===
Tarkabagish presided over at the first session of the [[Jatiya Sangsad]] of Bangladesh in 1972. He was again elected a member from Awami League in 1973.<ref name="Bpedia"/> After the assassinations of the founding father and then-President of Bangladesh, and almost his entire family and several relatives on August 15, 1975, by a group of military officers in an attempted coup, and subsequent coups and countercoups, Tarkabagish himself formed a party named Gano Azadi League in 1976.<ref name="Bpedia"/> During the regime of [[Hossain Mohammad Ershad|Ershad]] he played a role in the formation and activities of 15 party alliance that took part in the movement against Ershad.<ref name="Bpedia"/>
Tarkabagish presided over at the first session of the [[Jatiya Sangsad]] of Bangladesh in 1972. He was again elected a member from Awami League in 1973.<ref name="Bpedia"/> After the assassinations of the founding father and then-President of Bangladesh, and almost his entire family and several relatives on 15 August 1975, by a group of military officers in an attempted coup, and subsequent coups and countercoups, Tarkabagish himself formed a party named Gano Azadi League in 1976.<ref name="Bpedia"/> During the regime of [[Hossain Mohammad Ershad|Ershad]] he played a role in the formation and activities of 15 party alliance that took part in the movement against Ershad.<ref name="Bpedia"/>
 He played an important role as one of the leaders of the alliance in the movement against military rule of Hussein Mohammad Ershad.He was all along uncompromising towards fundamentalism and sectarianism. Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish was honoured with the Independence Day Award (posthumously) by the Government of Bangladesh in 2000 AD. 
 He played an important role as one of the leaders of the alliance in the movement against military rule of Hussein Mohammad Ershad.He was all along uncompromising towards fundamentalism and sectarianism. Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish was honoured with the Independence Day Award (posthumously) by the Government of Bangladesh in 2000 AD.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}


==Death and legacy==
==Death and legacy==
Line 63: Line 70:


=== Controversy ===
=== Controversy ===
After the [[assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman|assassination of Mujibur Rahman]], Tarkabagish went against his former comrade and praised the mastermind of the assassination [[Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad]] saying, "May Allah bless the President [Moshtaque] in establishing rule of law, peace and happiness in the country by uprooting corruption."<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>
After the [[assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman|assassination of Mujibur Rahman]], Tarkabagish went against his former comrade and praised the mastermind of the assassination [[Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad]] saying, "May Allah bless the President [Moshtaque] in establishing rule of law, peace and happiness in the country by uprooting corruption."<ref>{{Cite news |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 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 69: Line 76:


==Citations==
==Citations==
* {{Citation
* {{Citation |surname1=Al Helal |given1=B |authorlink=Bashir Al Helal |year=2003 |title=Bhasha Andoloner Itihas (History of the Language Movement) |publisher=[[Agamee Prakashani]], Dhaka |isbn=984-401-523-5 |language=}} {{in lang|bn}}
| surname1 = Al Helal
| given1 = B
| authorlink = Bashir Al Helal
| year = 2003
| title = Bhasha Andoloner Itihas (History of the Language Movement)
| publisher= [[Agamee Prakashani]], Dhaka
| isbn = 984-401-523-5
| language =  
}} {{in lang|bn}}


{{Language Movement}}
{{Language Movement}}
{{Hanafi scholars}}
{{Hanafi scholars}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarkabagish, Abdur Rashid}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarkabagish, Abdur Rashid}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:Awami League politicians]]
[[Category:Awami League politicians]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Independence Day Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Independence Award]]
[[Category:Pakistan Muslim League politicians]]
[[Category:Pakistan Muslim League politicians]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Awami League]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Awami League]]
[[Category:1st Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:1st Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:Pakistani MNAs 1955–1958]]
[[Category:Pakistani MNAs 1955–1958]]
[[Category:20th-century Bengalis]]
[[Category:20th-century Bengali people]]
[[Category:People from Sirajganj District]]
[[Category:People from Sirajganj District]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi people of Arab descent]]
[[Category:Politicians from Rajshahi Division]]
[[Category:Darul Uloom Deoband alumni]]
[[Category:Darul Uloom Deoband alumni]]
[[Category:Mazahir Uloom alumni]]
[[Category:Mazahir Uloom alumni]]
Line 99: Line 98:
[[Category:Bengali Muslim scholars of Islam]]
[[Category:Bengali Muslim scholars of Islam]]
[[Category:Bengal MLAs 1937–1945]]
[[Category:Bengal MLAs 1937–1945]]
[[Category:Bengal MLAs 1946–1947]]
[[Category:East Bengal MLAs 1947–1954]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1970 Pakistani general election]]
[[Category:Members of the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh]]

Latest revision as of 04:42, 11 February 2026


Mawlana
Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish
3rd President of Awami League
In office
10 October 1957 – 25 January 1966
General SecretarySheikh Mujibur Rahman
Preceded byHuseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Succeeded bySheikh Mujibur Rahman
Member of the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh
In office
1971–1973
ConstituencyNE-25 (Pabna-II)
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
1955–1958
Member of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan
In office
10 August 1947 – 24 October 1954
Member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly
In office
1937–1945
Personal details
Born
Khandakar Sayed Abdur Rashid

(1900-11-27)27 November 1900
Salanga, Bengal, British India
Died20 August 1986(1986-08-20) (aged 85)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Political partyAll-India Muslim League (1936–1947)
Muslim League (1947–1952)
Awami League (1952–1975)
Gano Azadi League (1976–1986)
Personal
ReligionIslam
DenominationSunni
JurisprudenceHanafi
MovementDeobandi
EducationDarul Uloom Deoband
Mazahir Uloom
Template:Infobox Arabic name

Khandakar Abdur Rashid (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.), better known as Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; 27 November 1900 – 20 August 1986) was a Bangladeshi politician and Islamic scholar. His career spans from the anti-colonial independence movement to the establishment of both Pakistan and Bangladesh. Tarkabagish was the second president of the All Pakistan Awami Muslim League, and served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and later the Parliament of Bangladesh. Despite being a member of the treasury bench, he opposed what he considered to be the repressive mentality of the Nurul Amin government towards the Bengali language movement.[1]

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Khandakar Sayed Abdur Rashid was born on 27 November 1900 to an aristocratic Bengali Muslim Sayed Peer family titled Khandakar in the village of Tarutia situated in Ullahpara, Sirajganj (then under the Pabna District of the Bengal Presidency).[2] His father, Sayed Abu Ishaq Khandakar, traces his lineage to Shah Darwish Dewan Sayed Mahmud, a Sufi Muslim figure claimed to be descended from Imam Husayn through his son Imam Zayn Al Abedin, who had arrived in the region from Baghdad during 1303 AD, he was a follower of the Tariqah of Sayed Abdul Qadir Jilani.[3]

From an early age, he developed a sense of patriotism. At the age of thirteen, he assembled helpless milk sellers against the local zamindars and mahajans and demanded that they pay them a fair price for milk. By the age of twenty-one, he was leading marchers in a non-violent protest for independence at the Salanga bazaar in Raiganj, when the crowd was fired upon, killing hundreds of people.[4] The events of 27 January 1922 are now referred to as the Salanga massacre in Bangladesh, and memorialised by "Salanga Day" annually.[5]

He later decided to pursue higher Islamic studies, and thus entered the United Provinces and Lahore, where was educated in Deobandi institutions such as Darul Uloom Deoband and Mazahir Uloom. He received his degree in logic and reasoning (tarka) and was honoured with the title of Tarkabagish (master of reasoning).[citation needed]

Political career[edit | edit source]

Tarkabagish joined the Muslim League in 1936. From the party he participated in the election and earned his place in the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1937 and in 1946. At the budget session of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly on 21 February 1952, Tarkabagish heavily criticized the killing of several protesters near Dhaka Medical College.[1]

Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish at a meeting with Mujib and Tajuddin

Tarkabagish asked the leader of the house, Nurul Amin, to formulate an inquiry and to visit to the wounded students before proceeding the session. But as Amin refused the proposal, he walked out of the assembly[6] and subsequently retired from Muslim League Parliamentary Party on 23 February 1952.[7] He also expressed gratitude to the dead and wounded activists of the movement.[6][8]

Tarkabagish protested the police firing on and killing of students on 21 February 1952, in the assembly. He also made his speech in Bengali to respect his mother tongue and martyrs of the language movement. He was arrested on 23 February and kept in jail until 1 June.[1] Then he joined Awami Muslim League (now the Awami League) and was again elected a member of the assembly in 1954 from United Front. He was also elected as the member of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in 1956.[1]

Tarkabagish was elected as the acting president of the Awami League in 1957, and then the president of the Awami League from 1964, a position in which he served till 1967.[9]

After the independence of Bangladesh[edit | edit source]

Tarkabagish presided over at the first session of the Jatiya Sangsad of Bangladesh in 1972. He was again elected a member from Awami League in 1973.[1] After the assassinations of the founding father and then-President of Bangladesh, and almost his entire family and several relatives on 15 August 1975, by a group of military officers in an attempted coup, and subsequent coups and countercoups, Tarkabagish himself formed a party named Gano Azadi League in 1976.[1] During the regime of Ershad he played a role in the formation and activities of 15 party alliance that took part in the movement against Ershad.[1]  He played an important role as one of the leaders of the alliance in the movement against military rule of Hussein Mohammad Ershad.He was all along uncompromising towards fundamentalism and sectarianism. Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish was honoured with the Independence Day Award (posthumously) by the Government of Bangladesh in 2000 AD.[citation needed]

Death and legacy[edit | edit source]

Tarkabagish died in Dhaka on 20 August 1986. He was honored with an Independence Day Award in 2000.[1]

Controversy[edit | edit source]

After the assassination of Mujibur Rahman, Tarkabagish went against his former comrade and praised the mastermind of the assassination Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad saying, "May Allah bless the President [Moshtaque] in establishing rule of law, peace and happiness in the country by uprooting corruption."[10]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Kader, Rozina (2012). "Tarkabagish, Maulana Abdur Rashid". In Islam, Sirajul; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  2. ↑ Dutta, Pradip Kumar. "An almost forgotten part of our glorious past". The Asian Age. Bangladesh. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "Birth anniversary of Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish". Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  4. ↑ "The Salanga Massacre of 1922: Bangladesh's forgotten bloodbath", by Shahnawaz Khan Chandan, The Daily Star (Dhaka, Bangladesh), 25 January 2019
  5. ↑ "Salanga Day today", The Daily Star (Dhaka, Bangladesh), 27 January 2009
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 (Al Helal 2003, pp. 373–393)
  7. ↑ "none", The Azad (a daily newspaper) (in Bengali), Abul Kalam Shamsuddin, Dhaka, 11 December 1948
  8. ↑ "none", Daily Insaf (a daily newspaper) (in Bengali), Dhaka, 24 February 1952
  9. ↑ "Awami League National Councils in 67 years". bdnews24.com. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Who Said What After August 15". The Daily Star. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2020.

Citations[edit | edit source]

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