Anisuzzaman: One of a kind

Anisuzzaman’s departure from this world is a moment of extreme sorrow for the nation. For those of us who knew him and were close to him, this is an immensely sad event. We knew Anisuzzaman was unwell, but had hoped he would recover and return. Unfortunately, that did not happen. He has left at a time which is difficult for us all. We cannot even gather together to grieve his death. This makes it all the more painful.

Anisuzzaman was an extremely meritorious man and he enhanced this quality by deep study. He was an unparalleled researcher. Scholars of literary history tended to overlook the contributions of Muslim writers in Bangla literature. In this regard, Ahmed Sharif brought forward the contribution of Muslim writers in the Middle Ages.

The research carried out by Anisuzzaman on the literary contributions of Muslim writers in the modern age, helped to overcome these gaps in the history of our literature. That was his primary research. What he did next was to collect samples of Bangla prose written during the East India Company times. He collected these from the India Office in London and his work in this regard shows the depth of his commitment and dedication to research.

If Anisuzzaman was an extraordinary researcher, he was no less excellent as a teacher. There is no end to the ways in which he has inspired his students. Those who are good researchers and successful teachers, often tend to create a space of their own, a comfort zone. But Anisuzzaman was different. He had a rare and avid interest and a sense of responsibility when it came to political, social and cultural issues. He did not hesitate to come to the forefront during times of national crisis. He often took leadership too, in many instances.

During his career, he had been involved with a great many institutions and those institutions are deeply indebted to him. He won recognition at home and abroad. And all these honours were well deserved.

Anisuzzaman was liberal in his views. I found him to be a shining example of liberal values. His writings, work and personal relations were replete with all the criteria of liberal values – tolerance, open-mindedness and a belief in social advancement.

He had a unique method of writing in which we found wit, emotion and control. These three qualities are not often found together, but these coexisted in Anisuzzaman’s writing. That’s why his writings were always interesting. These contained much research and thought, but were never monotonous or tiresome. There was never anything superfluous in his writings. His biography is a valuable pool of knowledge for writing our social and political history.

All talented people are set apart and unique from others. And so was Anisuzzaman. He was one of a kind.

* Serajul Islam Choudhury is an emeritus professor