Some lives cannot be summed up by a single job title or achievement, no matter how significant. Ziauddin Tariq Ali, who passed away on September 7, 2020, at the age of 75 after battling complications from COVID-19, lived such a life.
He was a freedom fighter, an engineer, a cultural organizer, and, until his final days, a tireless campaigner for a secular and inclusive Bangladesh.
Six years after his passing, it is worth asking what his life still has to teach a country that continues to wrestle with questions of identity, history, and belonging.
A Voice of the Liberation War
During the 1971 Liberation War, Ziauddin Tariq Ali played an important role in the cultural resistance that accompanied the armed struggle for independence.
He was part of a cultural troupe that traveled to different refugee camps and freedom fighter camps, performing patriotic songs and inspiring those who were fighting for Bangladesh.
The journey of that cultural troupe became an important part of the history of the Liberation War and was later documented in the acclaimed film Muktir Gaan.
Through music and culture, they carried the spirit of a free Bangladesh to people living through one of the darkest periods in the country’s history.
For Tariq Ali, the Liberation War was therefore not simply a chapter in history. It became a lifelong commitment to the values for which Bangladesh was born.
Turning a Dream into the Liberation War Museum
One of Tariq Ali’s most enduring contributions was his role in establishing the Liberation War Museum.
He was among the dreamers who believed that the history of 1971 had to be preserved through authentic documents, photographs, testimonies, and historical artifacts.
That dream became a reality.
The Liberation War Museum has since developed into one of the country’s most important repositories of the history of the Liberation War. It preserves the memory of those who fought, suffered, and sacrificed for Bangladesh while providing future generations with an opportunity to understand the country’s struggle for independence.
Tariq Ali understood that a nation’s history cannot survive through political speeches alone. It must be documented, preserved, studied, and made accessible to future generations.
His contribution to the museum reflected that conviction.
An Engineer with a Global Career
Beyond his cultural and social activism, Tariq Ali was a successful chemical engineer. His professional career took him to different parts of Bangladesh and abroad, where he worked in areas related to engineering, construction, and management.
Yet professional success never separated him from his cultural and social commitments.
He remained deeply connected with Bengali music, culture, and the progressive intellectual traditions of Bangladesh.
His life demonstrated that professional achievement and social responsibility can coexist. He used his knowledge and experience not only to build a successful career but also to contribute to institutions and causes that he believed were essential to the future of Bangladesh.
A Lifelong Commitment to Secular and Inclusive Values
Tariq Ali was known for his commitment to secular, liberal, and nationalist values. Throughout his life, he remained engaged with cultural and social movements seeking to protect the democratic and pluralistic character of Bangladesh.
His understanding of nationalism was rooted in the spirit of the Liberation War, when people of different religions, communities, and backgrounds came together for a common cause.
He believed that the Bangladesh created in 1971 should be a country where every citizen could live with dignity, equality, and freedom.
For him, the promise of independence was inseparable from the responsibility to protect the rights of all citizens, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, gender, or social background.
His Role in Sammilito Samajik Andolon
Until his death, Ziauddin Tariq Ali served as Chairperson of Sammilito Samajik Andolon.
His leadership of the organization reflected his continuing commitment to democracy, secularism, Bengali nationalism, social justice, and the protection of vulnerable communities.
The organization’s work and ideals placed particular emphasis on the rights and dignity of marginalized people, including religious and ethnic minorities, women, and children.
His involvement demonstrated that his commitment to the ideals of 1971 did not end with independence.
He understood that winning a war of liberation was only the beginning. Building and protecting a just, democratic, humane, and inclusive society is an ongoing responsibility.
A Legacy That Goes Beyond His Lifetime
Six years after his death, the relevance of Ziauddin Tariq Ali’s life remains strong.
At a time when Bangladesh continues to debate questions of national identity, democratic values, secularism, minority rights, and the proper preservation of the history of 1971, his life’s work offers an important reminder.
He showed that patriotism is not merely a slogan.
It can be expressed through culture, historical preservation, social activism, public service, and standing beside vulnerable communities.
The Liberation War Museum stands as a lasting testament to one part of his vision. The cultural traditions he helped strengthen and the social causes he championed represent another.
Perhaps his most important legacy, however, lies in the connection he maintained between the ideals of the Liberation War and the responsibilities of citizenship in an independent Bangladesh.
For his generation, the struggle did not simply end with victory in December 1971. The challenge was to build a society worthy of the sacrifices made for independence.
Remembering Tariq Ali
Ziauddin Tariq Ali belonged to a generation that witnessed the birth of Bangladesh and carried the memories and ideals of 1971 throughout their lives.
His contributions spanned different fields, but the underlying principle remained the same: a free Bangladesh must also be a humane, democratic, secular, and inclusive Bangladesh.
On his death anniversary, remembering Tariq Ali therefore means more than honoring a freedom fighter or cultural activist.
It means remembering the values that inspired the Liberation War and asking whether we are doing enough to preserve and uphold them.
His generation fought to create Bangladesh.
The responsibility for preserving the country they envisioned now belongs to us.
[The photograph of the Liberation War Museum with several underprivileged children was taken by this writer on the day Ziauddin Tariq Ali passed away.]
Author: Parvez Hashem, Lawyer and Human Rights Defender
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