Rafiq Uddin Ahmed () (30 October 1926 – 21 February 1952) was a protester killed during the

Bengali Language Movement The Bengali language movement was a political movement in East Bengal (modern-day Bangladesh) in 1952, advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as a co-lingua franca of the then-Dominion of Pakistan to allow its use in government ...

that took place in

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

(currently

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

) in 1952. He is considered a martyr in Bangladesh.

Early life

Ahmed was born October 30, 1926, in Paril village (renamed 'Rafiqnagar'), Singair, Manikganj District,

East Bengal East Bengal (; ''Purbô Bangla/Purbôbongo'') was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 195 ...

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. His father's name was Abdul Latif and mother's name was Rafiza Khatun. Rafiq was the eldest son of the couple's five sons and two daughters. Rafiq's grandfather is Mohammad Makhim. He passed his matriculation from Baira School in 1949. He studied Intermediate level from Debendra College but dropped out before finishing. He moved to Dhaka and started working in a printing press owned by his father. In Dhaka, he was admitted to the Department of Accounting Science at the then Jagannath College.

Bengali Language Movement

Ahmed was active in the student protest demanding Bengali be made the national language of Pakistan on 21 February 1952 despite Section 144(curfew) at

Dhaka University The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka was founded in 1921 ...

. When police opened fire at the demonstration in front of Dhaka Medical College premises, Rafiq was shot in the head and died immediately. His body was found on the east side of Room 5 of the medical hostel. Six to seven agitators found his body on the porch behind the Anatomy Hall. He was buried at Azimpur Graveyard under guard of

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

. His grave, though, was lost and could not be identified later.

Legacy

He was awarded

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

posthumously in the year 2000 for his sacrifice. His village has been renamed Rafiqnagar from Paril and Bhasha Shaheed Rafiq Uddin Ahmad Library and Memorial Museum was created in his village in February 2010. The museum in memoriam of Rafiq was erected as a testament to the patriotism and courage he displayed being a martyr of the movement. The museum is quite empty and does not house many significant artifacts, or memorabilia. Shaheed Rafiq Smriti Pathagar is a library in Manikganj named after him and was established in 2004. "Chander Moto Chandro Bindu" is a play based on his memoirs.

References

External links

*
Short biography
in Prime Minister's official website, Govt. Of Bangladesh {{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Rafiq Uddin 1926 births 1952 deaths People murdered in 1952 Bengali language movement activists Deaths by firearm in Bangladesh People murdered in Bangladesh Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Burials at Azimpur Graveyard Martyrs of Bangladesh