Amanullah Asaduzzaman

Amanullah Mohammad Asaduzzaman (known as Asad; 10 June 1942 – 20 January 1969) was an East Pakistani student activist whose death at the hands of police during a protest on 20 January 1969 "changed the nature of the student-mass movement and ... turned into a mass-upsurge against the Ayub regime and its repressive measures", according to Banglapedia. The Daily Star reports him as one of three martyrs of the 1969 uprising in East Pakistan which "set the stage for the liberation war". He was awarded the Independence Day Award in 2018 posthumously by the Government of Bangladesh.

Early life

Born in Shibpur, Asad graduated from Shibpur High School in 1960 and subsequently studied at Jagannath University (then known as Jagannath College) and Murari Chand College. After passing the latter in 1963, he entered the University of Dhaka, receiving bachelor's in 1966 and master's in 1967. In that year, he organised the Krishak Samity in Shibpur, Monohardi, Raipura and Narsingdi areas at the direction of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, President of National Awami Party and Krishak Samity.

After studying at City Law College in Dhaka, Asad sat in 1968 for a second M.A. exam in an effort to receive a better result. At the time of his death in 1969, he was in the final year of his M.A. at Dhaka University's Department of History.

In his political activities, Asad was interested in the educational rights of the poor and powerless. He founded a night school named Shibpur Naisha Biddalaya and collected funds for setting up a college (Shibpur College) for local people. On 4 January 1969, an 11-point programme—an expansion of Rahman's six-point movement—was publicised by a coalition of student group leaders, including the group for which Asad served as an officer. In a meeting at Dhaka University on 17 January 1969, student protestors decided to unite all campuses of East Pakistan on 20 January 1969, in strike.

Aftermath Thousands of students and common people mourned Asad together in procession, carrying his blood-stained shirt to Shaheed Minar. The Central Action Committee announced the 22, 23 and 24 January as a "mourning-period" for him, also striking on those days. On the final day, police once again opened fire. As a result, the administration of Field Marshal Ayub Khan was forced to terminate within two months from the day Asad died.

Personal life Asad had a sister, Anwara Ferdousi. His brothers were — HM Muniruzzaman, a history professor and FM Rashiduzzaman, a project engineer of Bangladesh's national parliament building.

Legacy Poet Shamsur Rahman wrote a poem Asader Shirt (Asad's Shirt) in his fifth book Nij Basbhumay (In My Own Land] depicting Asad's blood-soaked shirt during his death.

In many places of the country, people replaced the nameplates of Ayub Khan with the name of Shaheed Asad. In time, Ayub Gate was renamed Asad Gate, Ayub Avenue as Asad Avenue and Ayub Park as Asad Park.

Shaheed Asad Day is observed on 20 January each year in recognition of Asad's sacrifice, which led the nation towards mass upsurge and independence.

In 1970, on the first Asad Day, people constructed a monument, Unsatturer Gono-aubyuthaner Swarak O Aumor Asad, at the point in front of the central gate of Dhaka Medical College Hospital where Asad was shot dead. The local people of Shibpur and Dhanua established Shibpur Shaheed Asad College in 1970. In 1991, the inhabitants of Asad's own village Dhauna founded Shaheed Asad Collegiate Girls School and College.