Monaem-Sarker a Portrait of an Honest and Devoted Politician in Bangladesh

Bangabandhu sacrificed his life for the people of Bengal. This motivation significantly moved the spirit of Monaem Sarker. He devoted himself to the welfare of Bangladesh. He had no wants in his own life. His sacrifice, which reflects the ideals of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is instructive for all. Bangabandhu works tirelessly to establish a non-communal Golden Bengal free from hunger and poverty. Monaem Sarker is the epitome of a cool, prudent, unsophisticated, and honest politician.  

Politician, writer, and columnist Monaem Sarker is not getting old; he is standing still; he is evergreen, forever young; seventy-eight is a number to him, not age. He saw the light of the world on March 30, 1945. Still, every day dawns, afternoon turns into night, days go by, and months go by like this; he is always busy with the welfare of the Bengali nation. But we don't see any sign of old age in his thoughts, intellect, or actions. There is no room for laziness in the life of the Monaem Sarker. His organization is the most enormous family in his life. Life and politics have become one in his life.

He has led the nation with brave and valiant dynamism from the front whenever the country and the sky are covered with black clouds, and he continues to do so. He was one of those who played an essential role in the homecoming of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on May 17, 1981, by giving the responsibility of party president to take the lead of Bangladesh Awami League after the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu and his family on August 15, 1975. Today, Bangladesh's strong pace from Earth to space is due to the homecoming of the people's leader, Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh is a role model for development. The spirit of the liberation war gained a new dimension under her dynamic leadership.

After the assassination of Bangabandhu at the hands of anti-independence domestic and foreign gangs, black darkness engulfed Bangladesh, and he was in their front line who lit the torch of light to drive away that darkness. After the initial crisis restriction, that torch lit up, and the turn of Bengali and Bangladesh’s emancipation began. Just as Bengalis are united to remove all the garbage, rich in promises, the wind of auspicious pledges can be seen from the day of the return of the leader Sheikh Hasina to the country on May 17, 1981. We have always been familiar with the organizational strength of the Monaem Sarker. We noticed in him an extraordinary ability to inspire everyone through leadership. Among the numerous protest meetings, the meeting of cultural activists organized to protest the attack of fundamentalist militants on poet Shamsur Rahman.

Ramu in Cox's Bazar, Nasirnagar in Brahmanbaria, Shalla in Sunamganj, the incident in Cumilla city, Santhia in Pabna, Gangachara in Rangpur, Rishipara in Jashore, his heart wept, he did not want this Bangladesh, he again trusted in the leader Sheikh Hasina, thinking that the darkness will end one day under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. Fundamentalists and Fanaticswill be defeated. He organized various protests and demonstrations with like-minded people to protest these sad events.

It helped us understand that it is not enough to speak out against injustice; the structural change needed to bring people's economic emancipation. Monaem Sarker could have been many things if hehad wished, and considerable work was undoubtedly to be done in that respect. But politics was his passion. If the profession is to be said, then that is politics. But his politics is not about gaining power. Not a minister, not even a member of Parliament, he remained a political activist throughout his life. Our former Prime Minister said, "Monaem Sarker is our Permanent Sarker; formerPrime Minister considers him very dearest and nearest one".

As Monaem Sarker understood the theory, he also found areas for the demand of the theory in the real world. That is why full-time involvement in direct politics was inevitable for him. Despite many dangers, he did not move from there. But the politics of Monaem Sarker is entirely different. It was always about social change. The desire for power never chased him. He has done organizational work and led many times. He attended the conferences at home and abroad. He wrote many Books and published as well as edited the magazine. The total number of books written and published by politician, writer, and columnist Monaem Sarker is 116.

In today's society and politics, there is a great need for the iron unity of the pro-liberation forces to establish the mainstream of Bangladesh politics. The glorious history of the Bengali nation's past achievements is being lost, and it is a matter of healthy democratic politics to restore those achievements. After receiving his MSc in Applied Physics from Dhaka University, he joined direct politics as a full-time activist. After Bangabandhu was brutally killed, the Monaem Sarker created public opinion in various countries of the world, including the United Kingdom and India, with the aim of re-establishing the style and values of independence in Bangladesh.

During his four years of expatriate life after 1975, he met Mrs. Indira Gandhi, P.N. Haksar, Bhupen Gupta, Ramesh Chandra, Rajeshwar Rao, D.T. Randhike, developed close relations with famous personalities like Professor Shantimoy Roy, Ganesh Ghosh, Manukh Nath Gupta etc. The role of Monaem Sarker is well known when reading the diary ‘Uttar Parba Mujibnagar’written by Shawkat Osman. He wrote in his diary on 17 January 1979; The thought of struggle for life is matched with patriotism in such a way that Bangabandhu could not stay in the country after the brutal murder. Here, he took responsibility as the guardian of all political refugees. He occupied himself in many ways, from raising money for habits to maintaining the political flow.

He had an inevitable presence in all the political movements of Bangladesh under the leadership of Bangabandhu, such as the language movement of 1952, the formation of the United Front in 1954, the education movement in 1962, the mass upsurge in 1969, the elections of 1970, the independence war of 1971 until today. The beginning of his participation in the progressive political movement through language movement in 1952 as a teenager is firmly rooted in the soil of Bangabandhu's dreamy golden Bangladesh of today. As an active worker in the progressive political movement of Bangladesh and as a confirmed bachelor, this humble man's contribution was undaunted.

His diverse experiences, rebellious skills, honesty, and determination are the only support for his progressive thinking. There is nothing to gain in his life, nothing to get—yet this man who is devoted to the welfare of the people of Bangladesh still has an endless love for Bangabandhu, the architect of Bangladesh, the father of the nation. His ideology is the last path of his life, and he is firm in his belief that he will continue to work till the end of his life to fulfill Bangabandhu's dream.

As a skilled analyst of Bangladesh politics's ups and downs, his well-written writing is appreciated by all. We wish this pioneer of politics, social policy, and cultural movement a long life. We also believe that he will be devoted to the welfare of Bengali-Bangla-Bangladesh people until his last day. After August 15, 1975, the country plunged into a deep crisis. The country is completely in the hands of anti-independence and communal evil forces.

Monaem Sarker proposed to Mrs. Indira Gandhi to end this anarchy in the country, against Bangabandhu's murder, jail murder, and elimination of Awami politics all over the world where there are as many Awami League fans, political workers, and intellectual writers as they try to resist everything politically. Since the 1980s, the political environment in Bangladesh has gradually moved towards secularism due to the Awami political movement. Pro-Awami leaders also came out of their fearfulpositions and devoted themselves to the practice of engaging with mainstream politics.

But who will take the lead of the Awami League? Everyone had doubts about this. Many people were trying to catch up, and many of them were respected by all. But in the end, Sheikh Hasina's name was proposed. In a family atmosphere, Monaem Sarker proposed Sheikh Hasina's name to PN Haksar, a visionary personality of Indian politics. As Sheikh Hasina's name was proposed, it was accepted unanimously.

In the 1996 national election, an election steering committee was formed. The Joint Convener was Shah AMS Kibria, Gaziul Haque, and many others. But among the foremost leaders and artisans of election management were Shah AMS Kibria and Monaem Sarker. After 21 years, the Awami League formed the country's government due to this committee's electoral management skills. Shah AMS Kibria and Monaem Sarker established the Bangladesh Foundation for Development Research, a mainstream research institute on Bangladesh's politics, society, and culture.

Shah AMS Kibria held the chairmanship of the research organization BFDR for life, and Monaem Sarker took over as the founder Director General. No one has ever seen any sense of arrogance in Monaem Sarker. Such friendly and hospitable people are rare in our society. Our society needs many more virtuous and unselfish people like Monaem Sarker. Only then will Bangladeshmove forward faster.

Written By: Hiren Pandit

Hiren Pandit, is an essayist and a researcher

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