A leading Bangladeshi writer and academic Professor Humayun Azad was found dead in his hotel room in Munich, Germany. Prof. Azad was the recent survivor of a brutal assassination attempt in March. Remarkably, he recovered and was well on his way. He was in Munich to participate in a Bangla writer conference. While the german police thinks a heart attack is the cause of death, his family members are expressing grave doubts in light of continued death threats against him.
Why was Humayun Azad a marked man? A prolific novelist, he shamelessly exposed the religious right in his country for their violence towards women, their hypocrisy in clinging to political power and their fascist programs for the nation. The attack came after the publication of his 2004 book Pak Sar Zamin Sha'ad Ba'ad [Long Live Pakistan] in which the Islamo-militant hero tries to convert Bangladesh into a distorted Pakistan. The hero gets his indoctrination from the writings of Abu'l ala Maududi (founder of the Jama'at-i Islami) and Khomeini (Iran):
We are not alone, our brothers all over the world are doing their work. If they fly an airplane into a building somewhere, if some car crashes into a hospital or hotel, or if a bomb blast kills 300 people in some recreational centre, then we know it's the work of our brothers; in other words, it is our work. This is Jihad."
The protagonist, though, has a change of heart after he falls in love with a Hindu woman and abandons his ways. In earlier novels, Azad called for women's sexual revolution, for re-distribution of land.
The Islamic jihadists in Bangladesh could not win in the jihad of ideas so, they revert to what they know best: terror.
May Azad's novels and his legacy produce millions of new independent, contrarian, thinkers and actors.
COMMENTS
Rezwan | August 18, 2004
We need more Humayun Azads to lead us in the fight against the Islamic extremism virus, which has crippled our country.
habib emonn | September 04, 2007
valo laglo. valo laglo. ro infomation & picture chai
jahid | March 10, 2008
...Dukho ei je ''Humaun Azad'' je koto sahosi alokito chintar ekjon manush chilen ta bujhte bangalir aro koyek jug lagbe.H Azader chinta chetona juktibadi manusher chintar khurak hoye robe chirodin.
Chandan | August 05, 2008
Fuck the word "Jihad".
Rokan, Ctg | February 22, 2009
Humayun Azad is "Bamoner Deshe Otikai Manush" He is the light house in this dark village. Probably he came 200 years earlier than his due time. But, hopefully, as the days will pass by, certainly this entire dark Bangladesh will be enlightened by his lights. He is the Socrates of this contaminated region. Lets end with him- " As long as there will be a single maverick in the world, so long the world will be belonged to the people "
liton chatterjee | April 15, 2009
prio AZAD, bangali tomake bujlo na; tomake mullaion korte parlo na; bangali hesebe atai amar OPORADH BODH.
AZAD | April 25, 2009
I feel sorry for his abnormal drank death.He was a genious writer but he did not use his merit for the cause of national interest.He was a secoular fundamentalist & used to his merit against every religion & culture.He can do many things without harm to some one's religious feelings.
mohammed k hasan | August 12, 2009
No other writers can make me feel the way Dr.Azad's books does. I really don't understand how the fuck these assholes in the power don't see even after it was put in front of their eyes. Fuck all these politician and all their assholes student wings. All of them were born through there fathers asshole.
JAJABOR | October 06, 2009
STILL LOVE MY GURU. IF WE DON'T MEMORIZE HIS THINKINGS HIS ACTIVITIES WILL BE FRUITLESS.
sohan | February 13, 2010
we missed great writer to die HA. HA was most domestic favourit
IMRAN DCC | January 09, 2011
Azad is not a man, Ami thaka allah thaka o basi valobashi karon allah nai r azad asa. BD ta r kono azad hoba ki na jani na. Toba a dasher devnlop ar jonno aro AZAD dorkar. Ami AZADr vocto o pojok.
imran | January 20, 2011
azad is the god of bangali nation.
Imran Hossain Reyadh | January 20, 2011
Azad tume moro ni Tume bacha aso onusari der ridoy a jar number din din barcha.
Khalid | October 08, 2011
Humayun azad,amr chinta chetona amr vabner jogoth ta change kre dise,azad er protita boi amr vitore nara de.ai shomoi e humayun azad er moto manush er kovoi projon.
Imran Azad | December 14, 2011
The people of BANGLADESH are really hero. As they can do every thing. They can murder the father of their nations. They can make a plan to murder their greatest and leading writer and academic Professor Dr. Humayun Azad. Really they are great fool. For BANGLADESH Dr. Humayun Adaz is really a heaven. In Bangladesh only he is the man, who wanted the girls living free after BIDDHASAGOR. His "NARRE" and "AMAR OBISSHAS" is really a wonderful book in bangla literature.