Mollah Muhammad Azam
Badruddin Umar is often introduced as a historian and leftist political leader of Bangladesh. However, his writings resemble the biased attack of a cunning wolf rather than objective history. His so-called historical narratives are filled with attempts to undermine and distort the contributions of the Father of the Nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Page after page, he composes a distorted version of history, feeding the people of Bangladesh a steady diet of falsehoods. The real beneficiaries of his misleading narratives are the fundamentalist political parties of Bangladesh. The so-called intellectual leader of the 2024 teenage gang movement is none other than Badruddin Umar, who has long claimed to be a people’s intellectual.
Who is Badruddin Umar?
Born in Burdwan, West Bengal, Badruddin Umar hails from a lineage of British loyalist landlords. His father, Abul Hashim, was a prominent leader of the Muslim League. In his early political career, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a follower of Abul Hashim. While Hashim remained deeply entrenched in communal politics, Sheikh Mujib underwent a transformation, particularly from the time of the 1952 Language Movement. Over the years, Sheikh Mujib emerged as the voice of the oppressed and working-class people of East Pakistan. Following the mass uprising of 1969 and the victory in the 1970 elections, Sheikh Mujib called for an independent Bangladesh. During this time, he was honored with the title of ‘Bangabandhu’ (Friend of Bengal). On March 7, 1971, he clearly articulated the vision of an independent Bangladesh in his historic speech.
On March 25, 1971, Sheikh Mujib was arrested and taken to West Pakistan, while Tajuddin Ahmad sought refuge in India, where he, in collaboration with the Indian government, strategized the formation of an independent Bangladesh. This is widely known historical fact. However, Badruddin Umar, in his books, has shamelessly claimed that Sheikh Mujib fled the country, that he never wanted independence for Bangladesh, and that Bangladesh was not liberated because of him. According to him, Awami League leaders fled to India, and the Mujibnagar government under Tajuddin Ahmad’s leadership is conveniently erased from his narrative.
A Distorted Version of History
Badruddin Umar’s father, Abul Hashim, was often referred to as ‘Kana Hashim’ (one-eyed Hashim), a factual nickname given due to his visual impairment. Ironically, his son, despite having full vision, has authored works that can only be described as a delusional distortion of history. His writings amount to nothing more than slander against a great grassroots leader. His autobiography, which is nearly unreadable, is a tale of privileged aristocracy, completely devoid of any connection with the common people.
Despite playing no significant role in the country’s leftist movements, Badruddin Umar spent his life attempting to divide the leftist factions instead of strengthening them. His so-called contributions to history revolve solely around writing biased anti-Sheikh Mujib narratives. It is said that he aspired to be a Bangladeshi Lenin, yet he failed to achieve even a fraction of Lenin’s impact. In his later years, he has become nothing more than an ideological guide for teenage gang movements in the country.
Badruddin Umar’s work does not reflect history; it is a calculated attempt at defamation, serving as intellectual fuel for anti-liberation and fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh. His writings should be critically examined and not blindly accepted as history.