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Raufun Basunia ( ''Raufun Basunia'', died 13 February 1985), former Joint Secretary of
Bangladesh Chhatra League Bangladesh Chhatra League, simply Chhatra League (), is the student wing of the political party, Bangladesh Awami League, founded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 4 January 1948. The organisation is banned and listed as a terrorist organisation in B ...
, and the General Secretary of its
University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public university, public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka w ...
branch was a prominent student leader who led anti-dictatorship movement in Bangladesh and was killed by pro-junta activists. He was shot dead during a clash between ''Chhatra Sangram Parishad'' and ''Chhatra Samaj'', the ruling Jatiyo Party-backed student wing in front of ''Mohsin Hall'' at University of Dhaka on 13 February 1985. His death provoked the anti-junta student activists, and the movement for restoration of democracy became even more radicalised and consolidated. It became so violent that the dictator
Hussein Muhammad Ershad Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1 February 1930 – 14 July 2019) was a Bangladeshi military officer, dictator and politician who served as President of Bangladesh, the president of Bangladesh from 1982 to 1990. He seized power as a result of a 1982 ...
had to resign shortly afterwards. In 1985 young Raufun was a final-year Sociology student at the University of Dhaka. After his death, he became a vivid example in the history of student movement in Bangladesh. University of Dhaka authority later placed a statue of Raufun Basunia in its campus commemorating his sacrifice.


Early life

Raufun Basunia was born in a typical village named as ''Paikpara'' which is situated in
Rajarhat Upazila Rajarhat () is an upazila of Kurigram District in the Division of Rangpur, Bangladesh. Since 1981 it has been a ''Thana'' and later on September 14, 1983, it was turned into an upazila by the government. Geography Rajarhat is located at , which i ...
of
Kurigram District Kurigram District () is a district of Bangladesh in Rangpur Division. The district is located in northern Bangladesh along the country's border with India. Under British rule, the area was organized as a mahakuma and was not established as a dis ...
in Bangladesh. His father Najrul Islam was a primary school teacher. Mother Feroza Begum was a housewife. He completed his secondary and higher secondary education from ''Pangarani Laksmipriya High School'' and Carmicheal College respectively. Then he got admitted in Sociology department in University of Dhaka. After completing his honours there he got enrolled in the Master's program in the same department. He could not complete his study due to his sudden death in 1985.


Anti-dictatorship movement

The people of Bangladesh did not tolerate the occupation of power by the coup played by General Ershad in 1982. Protests grew all around the country. Students, specially students of Dhaka University was in the front line of these protests. That time Raufun Basunia was the General Secretary of the mostly traditional and influential student front Bangladesh Chhatra League's Dhaka University front. To counteract the pro-democracy movement, the junta formed a new student organisation ''Nutun Bangla Chatra Samaj'' whose job was to baffle the protests. This student body with arms and ammunitions under military auspices started to capture different residential halls of Dhaka University. This practice soon got extended to other educational institutions of the country. On 13 February 1985 the Dhaka University front of Bangladesh Chhatra League brought a regular procession under the lead of Raufun Basunia. No later it reached the main road of the university, crossing Surjosen Hall and Haji Muhammad Muhushin Hall, it had suddenly been attacked by the armed gangsters of Chatra Samaj. Raufun Basunia got shot and dead in that attack. But this could not tame the movement. Instead the people and students became so more violent that the military government was compelled to close its student front. At last, General Ershad left power in 1990. Raufun Basunia is still a source of inspiration in any movement against injustice and oppression in Bangladesh


Grave

The grave of Raufun Basunia is in his family graveyard situated in Paikpara, Rajarhat, Kurigram.


Basunia family

Raufun's father died in 2008. His mother died a few months later. His eldest brother Dafiul belaet Fortune Basunia and younger brother Nahin Basunia live in Dhaka. The second eldest brother Shafin Basunia runs a small business. One of his sisters, Lucky Basunia, is a school teacher in Rangpur. The other sister, Jaali Basunia, is a housewife.''রাউফুন বসুনিয়াকে আমরা ভুলে যাচ্ছি''
কালের কন্ঠ, 9 February 2011, Retrieved 5 August 2015


See also

*
Noor Hossain Noor Hossain (also rendered as Nur Hossain; ; 1961 – November 10, 1987) was a Bangladeshi activist who was killed by the police on 10 November 1987, while protesting against Ershad administration near Zero Point, Dhaka. Zero Point was later ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basunia, Raufun Bangladeshi activists Year of birth missing 1985 deaths University of Dhaka alumni People from Kurigram District Carmichael College alumni