Abul Mansur Ahmad's writings universal

Abul Mansur Ahmad was a rare personality who amalgamated politics, journalism and literature in his writings with a perfect blend of satire and wit to represent social reality and political history, said speakers yesterday.

His writings are universal and perfect for imbuing the new generation with human values, speakers said at a programme organised by Abul Mansur Ahmad Janmobarshiki Udjapon Parishad at Jaitya Press Club marking his 117th birth anniversary.

Addressing as the chief guest, Prime Minister's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said his each and every work was done for the welfare of the society. "And it is high time we followed his life and works," he added.

Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, said his father, Abul Mansur, never compromised when it was about dignity.

Journalist Rahat Khan, who presided over the programme, said Abul Mansur was a versatile person.

Cultural personality M Hamid said many discussions were held only on the crisis of value but Mansur showed the way to building them.

President of Jatiya Press Club Md Shafiqur Rahman, journalist Amanullah Kabir, and IT expert Mostafa Zabbar spoke among others.

A successful politician, Abul Mansur Ahmad was the provincial education minister in the United Front cabinet under Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq in 1954 and the central commerce and industries minister in the Awami League government of the then prime minister Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy in 1957. He was known for his strong stand on matters of interest to East Bengal.

Abul Mansur Ahmad's publications include great satires like Aina, Asmani Purdah, Gulliverer Safar Nama, and Food Conference. His works also include important writings on social and political history of Bengal. He has two autobiographical writings -- Atma Katha (About Myself), and Amar Dekha Rajnitir Panchash Bachhar (50 years of politics as I have seen it).

Abul Mansur Ahmad always propagated secularism in a manner unparalleled in the forties, fifties and sixties. His contribution towards opposition movement in the early days of Pakistan was extremely significant.

He wrote about the language issue from the early forties and contributed to the Language Movement as the editor of the Ittehad. He was the author of Ekush Dafa, the election manifesto of Jukta Front (a grand coalition of the three giants of politics back then, Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, Moulana Bhashani, and Shaheed Suhrawardy) in the 1954 election, in which the Muslim League was routed as a political party. The 21-point programme (Ekush Dafa) was the first comprehensive articulation of the political, economic and cultural demands of the Bangalees of the then eastern part of Pakistan.