updated on
August 31, 2006
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Profile of an Humanist: Dr.
Sirajul Islam |
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In
the year 1919 month of 16th July he was born in the remote village of
Baradi(at present in Kushtia) in undivided Bengal district of Nadia, Father’s
name Harunar Rashid, Mother’s name Sara Rashid.
Dr.Islam
took his early schooling in the Bihar Province district of Hazaribagh. His
father Harunar Rashid was an employee of PWD of Bihar Govt. Mr. Rashid had
also a Chequered career in terms of profession and social activities. Mr.
Rashid took much care and pain for his eldest son.
Dr.Islam
passed his childhood through secular education. Literature was his passion
and obsession. Among the Muslims, he was the first who had accounted his
career in Bengali through distinction marks and his performance was
appreciated by no other person than Prof. Rangeen Halder who was the then
Head of the Dep’t. Of Bengali in the Patna University.
Though Islam’s
family was far away from the Bengal but the family had deep-rooted attachment
with the relations and relevant clans. To visit the Bengal was a regular
ritual and feature of Mr. Rashid. Like ‘Apu’, Siraj had had
dreamland- as Apu has Nishchintapur, Siraj dreamland was gangatic delta.
Siraj was not a dream merchant, he had introduced two basic things –one was
introducing plantation of tomatoes and cabbage. He also elevated the sense of
sanitation for the gangatic delta areas; especially in the Char Shanir diar
and Char Ghoshpur. As
young Muslim scholar he took his Higher Secondary Certificate from the
Rajshahi Govt. College. Though he was a student of science but passionately
he accounted his intellect with the flavor of English Literature. He was
favored and nursed by Prof. Sreekumar Banerjee.His sense of criticism was
groomed by Prof. Subodh Sengupta.
After passing the Intermediate stage, Islam took his entrance in the prestigious institution of medical science in the sub-continent so far medical science is concerned Calcutta Medical College was next to London School of Medical Science.This institution not only made Mr. Sirajul Islam a physician only, simultaneously this institute had inducted him with humanitarian values and secular dimensions. In the later life while he was a practicing physician he did not practice medical science only he practiced by all means the humanitarian aspects of human values also.
Calcutta
Medical College exposed Mr. Sirajul Islam with a different exposure. From the
Bengali Muslims he was the first elected Literary Secretary of the Students
Union in the 1943-44.The Union was headed by Mr. Shishir Kumar Bose.Mr.Bose
was nephew of Netajee Suvash Chandra Bose, during this tenure Mr.Bose was
being arrested by the British authority and taken to the Lahore Fort for
state arranged trial. These periods of Mr.Islam’s life was not only
colorful but transitional also. He used to take information of Bose at the
cost of his own career. This time Islam came across with another Communist
Leader Mr. Abdur Razzak, nephew of Moulana Akram Khan.Moulana himself
appreciated Mr.Islam’s literary venture in his own daily the Azad. Next
year he successfully passed the MBBS as per schedule Islam completed his
internee ship under the guidance of Prof.L.M.Banerjee and Prof.P.C.Baghchi. In
1946, in the history of the sub-continent shadowed by communal rifts,
political turmoil and legacy of great Bengal famine was continued. As
spectator of the time, Islam learned a lot. Witness of the Great Calcutta
Killing, now Dr. Islam was a duty officer that very day. During Noakhali
Riot, Siraj was a co passenger of Mahatma. He served in different camps and
took active part for the sake of humanity. This period is most grandeur time
of his life. He
opted for Govt. Service in 1948 and was appointed as Assistant surgeon in
Comilla.1950 he got married with Jahanara Begum, daughter of a physician
family of Pabna.Originally they were from Char Bhabanipur in the district of
Nadia of undivided Bengal. In 1952 Dr. Islam posted to Dhaka Medical College
as RMO.During this period he had nice service with Prof. Nowab Ali,
Prof.Wahed and Prof.Ibrahim.Under blessing of these three professors, dr.
Islam learned a lot so far clinical Medicine is concerned. In the same year
he was posted to Sylhet Medical School as Lecturer of Pharmachology.He stayed
at Sylhet up to 1960. A
fruitful and successful tenure had passed by Dr. Islam in this tenure. As
physician his name and fame was spectered all over the Sylhet.He was
appreciated by every quarter, by dint of his professional skill and
humanitarian values. But he did not confined himself only in his professional
confinement he got an exposure through “Muslim Shahitya Shangshad of Sylhet”.
In
the year 1960 he was appointed as lecturer in the Dhaka Medical College. This
time he took active part in PMA and edited PMA Journals. 1962
he was posted at Mymensingh Liton Medical School.At Mymensingh he came across
as Medical officer with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Tajuddin Ahmed, Mani Singh,
and Troilokkahnath Maharaj.His Service was appreciated by these state
prisoners.
In
1969,Dr.Islam left the country for higher training at Leeds University in
U.K. After completion of training he was appointed as Chief Medical Officer
in greater Mymensingh.During war of Liberation he was Civil Surgeon of
Tangail, as close observant of our arms struggle, all of his family
belongings had been looted by the Pakistani Army. After loosing everything he
was posted as Deputy Director of Health(DDH) of greater Khulna Division.Then in
the year 1976-77, he served at Rajshahi in the same rank. As DDH he had
ensured health, sanitation and other basic requirements of the se two
divisions. Still now his colleagues are praising his integrity, honesty and
thoroughness of his own subject.
After
retirement he settled in a remote place of Pabna town. Dedicated his merit
enterprise and drive for the poor folk of the locality. He did not expose his
chequered career, professional antiquity to the poor. Lumpen, Bohemians and
destitute people were first choice to Dr. Siraj.He had given them suffering
to tranquility, from addiction to divinity.
Sadhupara
was fortunate enough to have had such a physician who had no asking fees
rate. To the lumpens he was friend, to the addicted he was guide and for the
sufferer he was philosopher. To him money was not a matter. His only
commitment was how to help sufferer. During his funeral time people was over
shadowed by teras, only utterance was “poorer have no physician now”. In
the year 1995,on 12th October he left us with a touch of values, good pay
habit, sense of commitment to the people. Remembering us:
It was not a mere
funeral utterance but spontaneous symphony orchestered by the local people
while last chunk of the soil was been laid down on the burial ground.
Seraj left behind a legacy of value based life through his sons, by professions they are educationist, physician and technocrat. He had to pass with sorrows due to immature expiry of his daughter-she was a poet, journalist and social worker. Siraj’s good lady is a social worker giving her service and merit for the local destitute women.
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