Sheikh Kamal: My view as a student of Shaheen School

From the magnificent Ruplal House in Farashganj, on the banks of the Buriganga River in old Dhaka, I arrived at a huge green expanse in 1967. I was admitted to Class Eight at PAF Shaheen School (now BAF Shaheen College), Dhaka. I quit His Highness Prime Karim Aga Khan Boys and Girls High School housed at Ruplal House, now a heritage site.

I am not discussing the pitiable condition of the grand 19th century mansion Ruplal House today. It was originally owned by Dhaka's infamous Armenian landlord Aratun and later bought and erected jointly by two Hindu affluent merchant brothers named Ruplal Das and Raghunath.

The reason for leaving the Aga Khan High School was very simple. Unfortunately, I was the lone Bangalee student in the school, very uncomfortable during class breaks. Overwhelming majority students were Ismaili Muslims, followers of Spiritual Leader Prime Karim Aga Khan. The girls and boys in the school spoke Gujarati during their conversation, while the classes were in English.

After two years I left the school in Farashganj. But I continued to meet and greet my Gujarati speaking school friends as we continued to live in Laxmi Bazar, in the old Dhaka. Months after in Shaheen School, everybody in my class used to point finger at a tall, lean and thin student with a light mustache. Every time I saw the senior student, he was practicing cricket, a game played by very few Bangalees in 1960s.

One day, a politically active classmate asked me whether I knew that tall student playing cricket. I said I didn't. He immediately said, "you don't know?" I said again, "no I don't." He was Sheikh Kamal, son of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, President of Awami League. Unfortunately, the leader was in prison then, waiting for the final verdict of Agartala Conspiracy Case. He was accused of high treason by the military regime of General Ayub Khan for conspiracy to bifurcate eastern province of Pakistan into an independent state, which is now independent Bangladesh.

Sheikh Kamal, was an enthusiastic promoter of Bangalee students in the school to participate in sports, specially cricket. Shaheen School fared well in inter-school competitions in basketball, cricket and other sporting events, but mostly dominated by Urdu-speaking students, who migrated from India after the partition in 1947.

The dynamic student also used to visit different classes to recruit students who had flair in music, dance and drama.
One day during midday class break, Sheikh Kamal threw a cricket ball towards me. He said in loud voice, hey you catch the ball. I missed the throw. I returned the ball towards him. He asked are you a Bangalee? Join us during practice from tomorrow morning. Like few others myself, Afsan Chowdhury (BRAC University), Dr Shahidul Alam (Drik) and many others did not join any games and sport, instead was more engaged in school addas and watching English movies in cinema halls.

Alas in few months, he left school after his SSC exam in 1967. He later studied in Dhaka College and then joined Dhaka University, where he was an active Chattra League leader, but again promoting other brilliant students to join the Chattra League committee. Well. I continued for another two years to pass school final exam.

The de facto student leader of the Bangla-speaking school students organized cultural programs in state run Pakistan Television (now BTV) through his connections. PTV had broadcast dance, music and drama of Shaheen School in Bangla. Drama Titumir's "Basherkella", directed by Sheikh Kamal was broadcast in 1967.

Fortunately, Sheikh Kamal's pro-active initiative had yield positive result. Nearly dozen footballer and cricketer joined the national team, who studied in Shaheen School. The best few names are Kazi Salauddin (SSC 1970), who is presently President of Bangladesh Football Federation. Still a student, in 1969 he joined Wari Club and in 1970 he played in Mohammedan Sporting Club football team.

He was a member of the Shadhin Bangla Football Team, which held football matches across India to raise funds for the 10 million refugees during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Sarkar Kamal Sayed (SSC 1970) led Shaheen School in 1969 to grab basketball championship in Inter-School Sport Competition. He earned Sword of Honor in Second BMA course and graduated in December 1975.

Most exciting are Mazharul Haque Tanna (SSC 1967) and Jahangir Shah Badshah (SSC 1969) who played in cricket national team after independence of Bangladesh. Soon after birth of Bangladesh, Sheikh Kamal with other friends and footballer Salauddin founded Abahani Krira Chakra in 1972. Rest is history.


The writer, an Ashoka Fellow (USA) is an award winning investigative reporter and is Special Correspondent in The Asian Age. Email: [email protected] Twitter @saleemsamad