Matiur Rahman: Today we have come to our studio to speak with Sharmin Ahmad, the eldest daughter of Tajuddin Ahmad, the prime minister of the independent Bangladesh government during the Liberation War. Sharmin Ahmed is also known as Ripi. Her mother Zohra Tajuddin was the vice president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad. I had close connect to Zohra Tajuddin since the end of the seventies and this bond remained for life. I recall interviewing Zohra Tajuddin in November 1993. It was a long interview, published across three days in Bhorer Kagoj. It had created quite a stir at the time. I had met Tajuddin Ahmed three times when he had been the finance minister.
Tajuddin Ahmad is coming more and more into the forefront of Bangladesh's political discourse and in the media too. We published a book from Prothoma -- 'Tajuddin Namey Ekjon Prodhan Montri Chhilen' (There was a prime minister called Tajuddin Ahmed). In the meantime, it seemed that we had been forgetting that he had been the prime minister of Bangladesh at one of its most difficult times. Now I will talk with Sharmin Ahmad about Tajuddin Ahmad as a father, as a leader and most importantly as a human being.
In these new times and new circumstances, we would like to talk to you about Tajuddin Ahmad, his life, his education, his role as a father, as a leader, and as a person. We know that Tajuddin Ahmad was quite brilliant from childhood. In the matric examination, he ranked 12th among all students in what was then East Pakistan. Later, he sat for his intermediate exams from college and, if I’m not mistaken, placed fourth in the Dhaka Division. Though he studied economics at Dhaka University, he couldn’t complete his master’s degree. Later, while in jail, he passed the law examination. He was a politically conscious activist. He engaged in various activities at the time. He also kept a regular diary. This process of a leader taking shape, his studies at school, college, and university, his diary writing, his involvement in different activities—how do you view your father through all of this?
Sharmin Ahmad: This is a very wonderful question you’ve asked. You’ve already provided the context: a leader doesn’t suddenly emerge. It never happens suddenly. It comes from a lifelong discipline, from daily habits. That’s how character is built.
I remember, when I was about four or five years old, Abbu hadn’t yet been imprisoned. He had been in jail every now and then. He went away for an extended time on 8 May of 1966 and was released in 1969.
What did he do before that? Every morning at dawn, he would wake me and my younger sister Rimi, right at Fajr time. After that, he would say his prayers, and then he’d take us out in the morning. Marching us along, saying “left-right, left-right,” we’d walk through Dhanmondi’s Road 21 toward Satmasjid Road. There were many bakul trees along the way. And there was something else he always did—if a tree branch had fallen, or there was any trash lying around, he would pick it up. He would tell us, “Pick it up, too. This isn’t right. These things shouldn’t be here.” And what I noticed in all this was that, even though we were just little kids, even if we were half-asleep, he wouldn’t excuse us. He’d say, “If you wake up early in the morning, everything else gets easier. And if you want to do good work, you must build the habit of rising early.” And he not only would say that he truly lived that himself.
Another thing I saw in him, he always kept his word. If he told someone, “Alright, I’ll see you,” or “Yes, I’ll come,” it wasn’t said casually. He would pause and think. He would really consider, ten times over, before making a promise, whether he could actually keep it. Another trait he had was deep compassion, for people, and also for animals and birds.
Matiur Rahman: We find this in various writings of your siblings, that he would plant trees at your Dhanmondi house – mango trees, other trees, flower plants. And he would tend to them himself, weed them. He would care for animals too, take you all to the zoo to see the animals. As you were saying, about his connection to nature...
Sharmin Ahmad: When we used to walk with him in the mornings, there were stray dogs along the way. My father would bring them home. Rimi used to be a bit scared of them. Then my father and I would bathe the dogs with soap, feed them, and care for them. That’s how we ended up looking after five or six dogs at home. They would play with us.
I believe a truly great leader is someone who understands suffering in its totality, someone who can feel the pain not only of people, but also of dogs, cats, birds, any living being. Only then can one be a genuinely good leader.
The person who sows the seeds of beauty in the unseen corners, he has integrity. It’s something broader than honesty
Prothom Alo :
Matiur Rahman: We would see him taking part in all sorts of meetings and discussions, he would regularly mingle with the old and the young. He would get involved in all sorts of work, big and small. He developed his leadership through a process. He had been Awami League's cultural secretary, social welfare secretary. Then organising secretary. And then the general secretary. He didn't suddenly become a leader through anyone's influence or by money or any such thing. His diaries are clear evidence of that evolution. He has published five of his diaries so far. What are your reflections or observations on what shaped his political growth.
Sharmin Ahmad: There’s an English word, "integrity". It has an extensive meaning. It means doing what is right, the act of compassion, act of love, and act of beauty, to do those acts even if no one sees it. Someone who keeps doing those things unceasingly, even when no one is watching, has integrity. The person who sows the seeds of beauty in the unseen corners, he has integrity. It’s something broader than honesty.
Let me recount an incident of a bulbul bird. My books talks about the 1970 cyclone when many people took shelter in our home. The cyclone struct on 12 November. A bulbul bird had built its next in a money plant that grew in a flower pot in our verandah. My father would always take care of the bird. he had perhaps forgot to bring it in at the time, but the fact is that the bird died. Mother had sent me to call my father. I found him cradling the dead bulbul bird in his hands, crying. When he saw me, he looked a little embarrassed. He didn’t eat properly that day. He kept regretting, “How could I forget it?” He never blamed anyone else. He never said, you didn’t remind me, or you didn’t bring this to my notice. He was such a busy man, and it was election time. Yet in that moment, all he could think of was the bulbul. He told my mother, "How could I make that mistake? I gave shelter to so many people, Lily, yet I forgot to bring in the bulbul." Later, when I grew older, I realised, this is called humanity. He was a born leader, born humanitarian, born statesman—one who carries within him sorrow of even a little bulbul bird.
Matiur Rahman: I read of an incident in your book this morning. A boy of the village has died due to a mistake. His name was Aziz and your father was very pained at his death. He had arranged his medical treatment, given 13 ounces of blood, but the youth couldn't be saved. This had created quite a commotion, even threats of a lawsuit and such. But he managed to bring things under control, forge an understanding. This kind of thinking is what the world talks about today; a person’s view of life -- is reconciliation a path out of conflict?
Sharmin Ahmad: Certainly, reconciliation, not letting things get out of hand, creating a common ground. In that incident, a shot was accidentally fired from a gentleman’s rifle and hit the boy. When they were about to file a case over the incident, he brought both parties together and explained that it had been a mistake. The bond of goodwill he fostered between the two previously hostile sides still remains to this day.
If you remember the Liberation War of 1971, Ziaur Rahman named his force “Z Force”. At that time, General Osmani was a bit upset. He said, “How can he just name it himself? There was a process. He didn’t consult us.” So, it looked like a conflict was emerging between Ziaur Rahman and General Osmani. Then my father said, “Okay, if he names it the Z Force, we have 10 other sectors. So let Khaled Mosharraf name his force as K, others like Shafiullah name their Force as S.” That way, everyone was equal. And the dispute stopped right there.
Prothom Alo :
Matiur Rahman: At the very beginning of the Liberation War, Tajuddin Ahmad crossed the border at Kushtia, went through Kolkata, and then on to Delhi. On 4 April he met with Indira Gandhi and completed the preliminary groundwork for the war. Decisions were made on what speeches would be delivered, what form the constitution would take, and so on.
What we later saw was that, throughout the war, a significant faction within Awami League, known as the Mujib Bahini, consistently tried to obstruct and oppose the Liberation War that was being led under Tajuddin Ahmad’s leadership. There were even attempts to relieve him of that responsibility. Yet, we observe that he tried to work inclusively, bringing everyone on board regardless of party affiliation. You will remember we did a book on the Siliguri Conference titled "1971: Siliguri Sammilon" (1971: The Siliguri Conference).
Sharmin Ahmad: A meeting was held with the participation of most members of parliament, members of the National Assembly, and members of the Provincial Assembly, where discussions took place. From that meeting, support for Tajuddin Ahmad’s leadership was affirmed, and the Liberation War was conducted under his leadership.
(The second part of the interview will appear tomorrow, Friday)