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"I
lived in the old city for long and knew the culture.
The sense of neighbourhood is high. In almost every
para there was a Chokku Mia and Meramat Miah and
I just transplanted them in to my script"
MR
Akhtar Mukul
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...........................................................
M.R.
Akhtar Mukul
Inspirational
orator of "Charompotro"
-Harun
ur Rashid (The Daily Star)
Eminent
intellectual, writer, journalist-columnist, and the
inspirational orator Charompotro-famed cultural personality
MR Akhtar Mukul breathed his last on June 26, 2004
after a long struggle against intestinal cancer. With
his demise, the nation lost one of its bravest sons
who contributed immensely to the historic Liberation
War in 1971.
Born
on August 9, 1929 in West Bengal of the undivided India,
Mukul migrated with his family to Bangladesh and settled
at Mahasthan in Bogra. Later he engaged himself in all
the major movements of the country, from the Language
Movement of 1952 to the Liberation War of 1971.
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Having
been a journalist for more than two decades, Mukul worked
for the Dainik Azad, the Dainik Ittefaq and Purbadesh. He
was the Dhaka Bureau Chief of UPI, the news agency. He served
as the Press Minister of Bangladesh in London immediately
after the Liberation.
Mukul
authored about 36 books, a number of which will always be
treated as authentic sources of the history of Bangladesh.
Among his books are Ami Bijoy Dekhechhi, Bahannor Bhasha Andolon,
Bijoy Ekattor, Nokshalder Shesh Shurjo, Ami-i Khaled Mosharraf,
London-e Chhokku Mia, Mujiber Rakto Laal and others. He was
the convenor of the second phase of the editing of Bangladesher
Shadhinota Juddher Dolil.
However,
Mukul's fame is mostly based on his inspirational oration
of Charompotro (the ultimatum) which he himself would compose
after observing the warfields. His timeless character of Chhokku
Mia, actually his own mouthpiece, used to describe the freedom
fighters with all embellishments of intelligence and bravery.
And this would provide an immense source of inspiration to
the freedom fighters who sacrificed their personal interest
and lives to free the country from the oppressive grip of
the then West Pakistani rulers.
Chhokku
Mia would also describe the top brass of the Pakistani regime,
such as General Tikka Khan, General Ayub Khan and General
Niazi, in such derogatory terms which almost verged on the
line of lampoon besides its usual tones of mockery. This would
also imbue the fighters with courage and spirit on the warfronts.
The Culture Desk of The Daily Star salutes MR Akhtar Mukul
for his invaluable contribution to the shaping of the nation.
We express our heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family
members of the deceased.
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