Qazi Motahar Hossain

Qazi Motahar Hossain (30 July 1897 – 9 October 1981) was a Bangladeshi writer, scientist, statistician, chess player, and journalist.

Hossain was a pioneer educationalist of Bangladesh. He did original research in statistics and pioneered its education in Bangladesh both as a faculty and administrator. As one of the early faculties of University of Dhaka, he was vigorously active in the cultural circles that grew around it. As a Dhaka-centric literary figure in late British India, a period marked by communality and religious sentiment, Hossain and his literary group Shikha distinguished themselves as proponents of communal harmony and rationalism. He was among the sceptical intellectuals who warned of the consequences of the short-lived state of Pakistan. On several occasions, he vocally criticized Pakistani government policies, most importantly on the state language question.

Early life and education Hossain was born into the aristocratic Qazi family of Bagmara to Qazi Gawharuddin and Tasirunnesa, at his maternal home, Lakshmipur village, in Kushtia District, in the then British India. His family had arrived in Mughal Bengal from Western Asia during the reign of Shah Jahangir, his ancestors were designated as the judges of the court of Delhi, hence the name of the clan is "Qazi." He passed his childhood years at his father's village Bagmara in Rajbari, a district adjacent to Kushtia. He received his earliest education from his father and from the village primary school.

Hossain entered Kushtia High School, distant from his home, for Secondary studies. During his time in Kushtia, Hossain, coming from a household with lesser income, supported himself by various scholarships, lodged at nearby homes as house tutors and later settled at a hostel. Among the teachers, he specially later recalled Jyotindranath Roy and Jatindra Mohan Biswas. During his years at the school, Jyotindranath Roy, an accomplished teacher of Mathematics and Sciences, laid Hossain's foundation in algebra, geometry, conic section and mechanics. Mr. Roy, recognizing Hossain's interest in mathematics, introduced the mechanics course solely for him. In 1915, Hossain passed Entrance from there.

Activism In the 1920s and 1930s a Dhaka-based literary organization, Muslim Sahitya Samaj, comprising mainly Bengali-Muslim intellectuals, initiated a movement called Buddhir Mukti Andolon (Freedom of thought movement). Hossain, through his friend Kazi Abdul Odud, got involved. Unlike the contemporary literary atmosphere of Bengal, mainly dominated by religious partisan spirit, Muslim Sahitya Samaj and their proceeding Shikha upheld values like rationalism, communal harmony, religious tolerance. Though unpopular among the masses, the Shikha group proved to be distinctively liberal and radical: they even went as far as criticizing the Caliphate system, a very unusual and bold feat during that time. Hossain edited two issues of Shikha. He wrote for The Muazzin, the journal of Khademul Insan Samity.

Within few years of Pakistan's formation, the nation's opinion got divided over the state language question. Hossain defended the case of Bangla among other leading intellectuals.

Chess An accomplished chess player, Motahar Hossain was the all India chess champion seven times. He took the lead organizing chess in Bangladesh. He founded the All Pakistan National Chess Federation in 1969. After independence, he established Bangladesh Daba Sangha, which became the Bangladesh Chess Federation in 1974.

Family and personal life In 1920, still a student, Hossain married Sajeda Khatun. They had eleven children together – seven daughters, Zobaida Khatun, Obaida Khatun, Khurshida Khatun, Zaheda Khatun, Sanjida Khatun, Fahmida Khatun, Mahmuda Khatun and four sons, Qazi Anwar Hussain, Qazi Mahbub Hossain, and two died in childhood.

Death and legacy He died in Dhaka on 9 October 1981.

A postage stamp was published by Bangladesh Postal Department to respect his contributions.