The person we know as 'Maulana Bhasani' was not originally named that. Neither of these two words was part of his real name. Both 'Maulana' and 'Bhasani' were titles or epithets he acquired later. 'Maulana' reflected his religious faith and practice, while 'Bhasani' became a symbol of his struggle and rebellion. His life and activities were such that his real name faded behind these titles. In fact, his birth name was Abdul Hamid Khan, and his childhood nickname was Chaga, which was how he was known in his early years.
He had none of the wealth, status, or family influence that typically help in political and social establishment. Yet he drew from every experience in life—from traveling theatre troupes to the Deoband Madrasa. Among these experiences, the trait that ultimately made him remarkable was his deep connection with the masses. This connection allowed him to see life through the lens of the collective, linking his life with the lives of those around him.
He viewed imperialism, feudalism, and capitalism not from a distance, but through the experiences of oppressed people. He understood that poverty, helplessness, and a life of deprivation were not mere fate—they were created and sustained by specific causes, systems, and power structures.
This understanding set him apart from other maulanas and pirs. In a hypocritical world, he became solitary, while among the people he became a leader of the oppressed. He was not just a voice for Muslims; he became the voice for all oppressed people of the so-called Third World, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or gender.
In our society, religious leaders such as maulanas and pirs hold immense power. Rulers and exploiters always support them to maintain their own authority. At the same time, countless people approach these religious figures to cope with unbearable lives. People seek relief from ailments, protection for their children, divine help in crises, and safety from cruel oppressors through prayers, talismans, or charms. Where there is no money for treatment, no doctors, no medicine, and where people’s own strength is unclear; where rivers erode, and tyrants and the powerful commit oppression—the oppressed see no other way but to turn to such religious paths.
Most religious leaders take money, offer advice, and urge people to be patient, to endure, to accept their fate with satisfaction. Yet these leaders themselves remain bound to the very oppressors who are few in number but hold power. The dependence of religious leaders on oppressors, and of oppressors on religious certification, creates a vicious cycle in which they protect each other. For the oppressed, this produces a deadlock. Amid storms and aggressions, the only guidance offered to the battered people is religious practice and patience in this life for infinite rewards in the next. Such leaders’ teachings are thus often infused with power, misogyny, communalism, and other social toxins.
Maulana Bhasani: A leader of the oppressed
Maulana Bhasani was also a pir (spiritual guide). Millions of people were his disciples. Because he did not discriminate based on religion, caste, or gender, anyone could approach him. Men and women of different faiths, and especially poor people oppressed and exploited by landlords, moneylenders, and the ruling classes, came to him for help. Unlike many religious figures, Bhasani did not derive his income from their suffering. He offered prayers, charms, and spiritual guidance, but if someone was seriously ill, he advised them to see a doctor and even provided money for medicine if needed.
What set Maulana Bhasani apart, and in some ways made him the opposite of other religious leaders, was his approach to injustice. People came to him for guidance and shared the indescribable hardships and injustices of their lives. Bhasani’s stance was that such suffering was not fate, not a divine decree, and above all, could be changed if people were united. This perspective drove him to adopt a rebellious position against injustice from his youth. For him, 'Rebellion against injustice is righteous' became another name for his life.
Bhasani’s life, speeches, and struggle angered the Pakistani state, dominated by the ownership of Islam, as well as military rulers, landlords, moneylenders, feudal lords, and their favoured religious leaders.
He was labeled a 'traitor to India', a 'lungi-clad Maulana', and even an 'apostate'. This hostility from rulers and oppressors was essentially a class-based resentment. In appearance, lifestyle, speech, and demeanor, Bhasani belonged to the lower class. Through struggle, he gave voice to the oppressed within Islam, standing against the elite interpretation of the faith. While religion was treated as a safe haven monopolised by rulers and oppressors, Bhasani challenged that sanctuary.
Injustice and suffering are not abstract, nor do they descend from some unknown planet. By observing these experiences with responsibility and sensitivity, one can uncover a vast truth: the causes of inhumane lives, the social structures, rules, and systems behind them. It becomes clear which classes and groups maintain and enforce these systems, using every means to perpetuate them—and religion is not exempt. The struggle for total liberation cannot be indefinite or aimless; it requires envisioning and working toward a society that can free people from this hellish condition.
Bhasani did not aim for the monarchy of Saudi Arabia; he envisioned a society liberated from exploitation, oppression, and inequality. He sought a social system that could bring people joy, dignity, and humanity. The struggle to establish such a society, he presented as a duty and responsibility to the people.
Therefore, to free people from injustice, oppression, and suffering, prayers alone are not enough; what is needed is the creation of collective struggle. This understanding enabled Maulana to become the symbol of resistance known as Bhasani. This Bhasani stood against the overwhelming power and aggression of all kinds of oppressors, channeling the voices of millions into his own, and confronting authority with the immense strength of the people. He gave tangible form to the limitless power rising from among the oppressed. His warnings against the oppressors not only revitalised weary, oppressed, and struggling people but also seemed to animate nature itself—'Silence!'
With this resolve, Maulana Bhasani participated in the 1971 Liberation War and, in the post-independence and disillusioned years, became a symbol of people’s despair and aspirations. He challenged the power of India’s ruling class and shook the country against the oppression at Farakka. Although his influence was undermined at times by the errors and impulsiveness of leftist leaders, and he himself faced moments of despair, his strengths and limitations both offer lessons for our struggle.
Fifty-four years after independence, at a time when the people of Bangladesh are facing setbacks contrary to the hopes of mass uprisings—confronted by imperialism, the multifaceted aggression of domestic and foreign rulers, plundering by various looter groups, confusion from the expansion of religious-fascist politics—Maulana Bhasani repeatedly emerges as a powerful voice for the liberation of the oppressed, challenging local and foreign tyrants, calling again and again: 'Silence!'
#Anu Muhammad is a teacher, writer, and editor of the quarterly journal Sarbajanakotha
*Opinion is the author’s own