Zillur Rahman Siddiqui's ideals recalled

Recalling times spent with revered educationalist Prof Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman yesterday said they had taken part several times in the anti-autocracy movement and in demonstrations against communalism and recognition of Islam as the state religion.

"Prof Zillur was a poet, an author, a columnist and so on but he was unique because his translations of Shakespeare's sonnets are esteemed," he said, adding that Prof Zillur always promoted goodwill and betterment of mankind and his ideology would always remain relevant.

Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman was addressing a memorial meeting in the capital's Bangla Academy marking the first death anniversary of the former adviser to a caretaker government who passed away at the age of 86.

For contribution to literature, Prof Zillur was honoured with Alaol Shahitya Purashkar in 1977, Bangla Academy Award in 1979, Alokto Shahitya Purashkar in 1998 and Swadhinata Padak in 2010.

Prof Zillur's brother AQ Siddique and son Dr Shakeel Akhtar thanked the guests and requested cherishing the ideology of the vice-chancellor (VC) of Jahangirnagar University for two terms.

Sammilita Sangskritik Jote President Golam Kuddus, English department teachers Prof Kajal Bandyopadhyay of Dhaka University and Prof Ahmed Reza of Jahangirnagar University and Gono Bishwabidyalay VC Prof Mesbahuddin Ahmad also spoke.