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Editor of Protidiner Bangladesh Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel has said Bangladesh’s emergence as an independent nation would still have been unimaginable had Muhammad Ali Jinnah not led the movement that resulted in the creation of Pakistan.
He made the remarks as the chief guest at the opening of a three-day commemorative festival titled “The Architect Remembered”, marking the 78th death anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, at the NRC Centre in Paltan, Dhaka, on Wednesday.
Maruf Kamal Khan, a former press secretary to late Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, said Bangladeshis are inheritors of a long and complex history of the Indian subcontinent and should not view themselves as an isolated people disconnected from that history.
“Our ancestors once established Pakistan through a movement led by Jinnah. At that time, they honoured Muhammad Ali Jinnah with the title Quaid-e-Azam, meaning the Great Leader,” he said.
The veteran journalist said there was now a need to revisit and reassess the dominant narrative about Jinnah that had prevailed in Bangladesh in recent years.
The three-day programme was organised by the Muslim nationalist political group Jatiya Biplobi Parishad to commemorate Jinnah, whom the organisers described as an anti-colonial leader and architect of an independent Muslim state in South Asia.
The opening programme was chaired by the organisation’s convener Khomeni Ehsan and conducted by its member secretary Dr Nabil Ahmed. Professor Lt Col (retd) Akram Ali, Dr Farid Uddin, engineer AKM Rezaul Karim and advocate Mostafa Jamal Chowdhury, among others, spoke at the event.
Tamima Zobaida, a PhD researcher at Japan’s Waseda University, presented a concept paper titled “Reclaiming Jinnah” at the programme.
She stressed the importance of drawing lessons from Jinnah’s life in rebuilding Bangladesh following the July 2024 uprising.
According to Tamima, Jinnah secured an independent state for Muslims from British colonial rule under the name of Pakistan. After independence, he pursued constitutional development and the establishment of democratic institutions, she said.
She argued that Bangladesh likewise needs constitutional restructuring and reforms to democratic institutions following the July uprising.
Tamima further said Muslim nationalism, the idea of a democratic Muslim state and democratic Muslim nationalist politics were becoming increasingly attractive to young people in Bangladesh following the uprising.
As a result, she said, Jinnah was emerging as an iconic figure among young people as an anti-colonial Muslim nationalist leader.
Mohammad Kamran Saeed Usmani, president of Pakistan’s Youth Muslim League, joined the programme online and delivered a speech.
Senior joint convener of Jatiya Biplobi Parishad Mohammad Shamsuddin delivered the welcome address.
Among others, Mezbah Uddin Ahmed, Mohammad Abdul Jabbar, Minhajul Abedin Sharif, Shah Nazmul Hasan Ferdous, Galib Ehsan, Touhid Tupu, Mohammad Saidul Islam, Abdul Wahed, Jihadi Ehsan and Mohammad Ariful Islam attended the event.
A photographic exhibition commemorating Jinnah will be held from 11am to 7pm each day of the three-day festival at the NRC Centre in Paltan.
On the concluding day, Friday, participants will visit the mausoleum of the three national leaders after Friday prayers to pay tribute to Jinnah’s associates. A prayer gathering will also be held after Asr prayers at the central mosque of a university.