Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury


Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury was a prominent Bengali essayist, prized scholar of Bengali literature, educator and linguist of the Bengali language.

Early life and education

Chaudhury was born in Khalishpur, Noakhali district, British India, in 1926. His father was Bazlur Rahman Chaudhury, and his mother was Mahfuza Khatun. He was the eldest of four brothers and sisters. His father died when Chaudhury was young.
Chaudhury matriculated from Ahmadia High School in 1942, securing fourth place in the exams. He stood first in the intermediate examination in arts at Dacca College in 1944. He stood first again, with record marks, when he earned a BA in Bengali at Visva-Bharati College under Calcutta University in 1946.
He was awarded 'Sahitya Bharati' by the Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan. He topped his class in the master's examination in Shantiniketan.

Career

Chaudhury joined the Pakistan Radio in Dhaka in 1949, and was a lecturer at Jagannath College before becoming a teacher at the Department of Bengali at the University of Dhaka having actually to sit for another master's exam because DU wouldn't accept his Bishwabharati degree and again coming first in his class, in 1953, in Bengali from the University of Dhaka. He joined DU in 1955. In 1957, he joined the School of Oriental and African Studies to study linguistics for two years. His research on the works and the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore was felicitated and in 1970, he became an external examiner for Bengali at the University of Dhaka.

Death

Chaudhury was one of the leading Bengali intellectuals who were killed by collaborators of Pakistan Army on 14 December, two days before the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War.
On 14 December, which is observed as Martyred Intellectuals Day, a group of Al-Badr people took away the eminent intellectual from his house. His wife, Dolly Chaudhury, recognized one of the Al-Badr militants when the cover that hid the assassin's face was pulled by her husband. The person was Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin.
On 3 November 2013, Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, a Muslim leader based in London, and Ashrafuz Zaman Khan, based in the US, were sentenced in absentia after the court found that they were involved in the abduction and murders of 18 people – nine Dhaka University teachers including Chaudhury, six journalists, and three physicians – in December 1971.