Ghulam azam lectures on literature

Chapter one:

It is natural that the general masses would have some curiosity about the highest leader of a particular movement. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is an Islamic movement; simultaneously it is a political party. Right now this party is a hot topic of discussion worldwide. From the existing political perspective of Bangladesh, by the grace of Almighty Allah, this party has become successful to drawn the kind of attention of the people of all sections. The government is a carrying out inhuman oppression and torture upon Jamaat-e-Islami including murder, abduction and brutal torture in the name of remand. But facing and overcoming all these suppressions, Jamaat is moving forward dynamically with its solemn ideology. The peace loving and democratic people of the country have chosen Jamaat-e-Islami as their favorite shelter in order to attain security, peace and tranquility. People’s love and sympathy for Jamaat-e-Islami is increasing significantly.

The government has made unprecedented oppression against Jamaat-e-Islami by unlawfully executing its Ameer Shaheed (martyr) Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Shaheed Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Senior Assistant Secretary General Shaheed Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Assistant Secretary General Shaheed Abdul Quader Molla and party’s central executive committee member Mir Quasem Ali. These repressions of the government have ingrained the position of Jamaat-e-Islami among the mass people.

Following the unjust execution of Ameer-e-Jamaat Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, his close associate and the man of decency Mr. Maqbul Ahmad became the Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami as per the party constitution, who had served this party for last 6 years as the Acting Ameer. But immediate after his sworn in as Ameer-e-Jamaat, massive propaganda initiated against him. Some false, concocted and fabricated stories are made to tarnish the image of the new Ameer-e-Jamaat.

After his assuming of office of the Ameer-e-Jam

MY JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE

BY

PROFESSOR GHULAM AZAM

(Abridged translated version of the author’s original Bangla Memoir Jibone Ja Dekhlam)

Translated and Edited by Dr Salman Al-Azami

Copyright – The Ghulam Azam Foundation

Chapter Eleven

Literary and Cultural Activities

As mentioned before my teacher in junior madrasah Mr Shamsuddin sparked my interest in reading for which I will never forget him and will continue to pray for him from the core of my heart. I would take books from the madrasah library and continued to do so while in high madrasah, although there was no one like Mr Shamsuddin to guide me to which books to read. When I was in Islamic Intermediate College in Dhaka I again started taking books from its library, and upon observing my progress  in Bangla in the half-yearly exam, the Bangla teacher Mr Aminuddin suggested that I should read the short stories of Rabindranath Tagore[1] to improve my Bangla. I was startled by the beautiful literary style, linguistic elegance and philosophical teachings of those stories. My eldest two sons Mamoon and Ameen were students of Dhaka College in 1971. As the situation in Bangladesh was not good, in 1972 they and my brother Dr Ghulam Muazzam’s eldest son Suhail went to England to study there. When I met them in 1973 after two years I realised that there was no scope for them to practice Bangla in that country. At that time I remembered the prescription of my Bangla teacher Mr Aminuddin and arranged to bring all the volumes of Tagore’s Galpaguccha (Collection of Short Stories) from Bangladesh.

I became very attracted to Bangla novels while studying at intermediate level and, upon seeking Mr Aminuddin’s advice, he  suggested I read Saratchandra’s novels. Before sleeping, I would read non-academic books, but the storylines in novels were such that it was difficult to go to sleep before finishing a novel. Lack of sleep was beginning to affect my studies, so I went back to Mr Aminuddin for ad

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Ghulam Azam, the controversial leader of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islam fundamentalist party, died last night at 8 pm after being rushed to Banabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). He was 92.

In prison since 2013, he was serving a 90-year sentence for crimes against humanity committed during the War of Liberation from Pakistan (1971).

Azam's family, which was given the body, criticised the government for not announcing his death sooner.

Praised as Jamaat's spiritual leader", Ghulam Azam was convicted on 15 July 2013 by an international war crimes tribunal in Dhaka for murder, torture of civilians, conspiracy, incitement and complicity in genocide.

Because of his advanced age, he was spared the death penalty in accordance with the law. Instead, he was given a sentence to 90 years in prison, which triggered strong reactions right away. His party called for a general strike (hartal). Its militants went on a rampage across the country, calling for his acquittal.

By contrast, lay activists from the Gonojagoron Mancha deemed the sentence too light, and called for the death penalty.

Considered "the greatest traitor" in the history of Bangladesh, Ghulam Azam planned all the activities of groups like the Peace Committee, Razakar, al-Badr and al-Shams.

During the War of Independence, he backed the Pakistan Army against the forces of liberation.

After the war, he went abroad looking for support from other Muslim countries to prevent them from not recognising the newly formed People's Republic of Bangladesh.