Veteran leftist politician, writer and intellectual Badruddin Umar was paid respect on Monday (Sept 8) with floral tributes from across Bangladesh’s political, cultural and intellectual spectrum.
His body was taken to the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, where people from all walks of life gathered to pay their respects.
Leaders of political parties, cultural organisations, professional groups and state institutions placed wreaths in honour of the long-time Marxist thinker and activist.
The event was organised by the National Liberation Council, of which Umar had served as president. Members of the Communist International Guild began the tribute with revolutionary songs, followed by reminiscences from his comrades.
Among those who paid respects were Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul; Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter; Women and Children Affairs Adviser Sharmin S. Murshed; Education Adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar; Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki; intellectual and writer Farhad Mazhar; and Emeritus Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury.
Political parties across the spectrum joined in the farewell, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the National Citizen Party (NCP), Ganosamhati Andolon, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), and the Revolutionary Workers’ Party. Leaders such as BNP Joint Secretary General Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, NCP convener Md Nahid Islam, Ganosamhati chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, CPB General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, and JSD General Secretary Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan led their respective delegations. Numerous cultural, professional and civil society groups — from Udichi and the National Poetry Council to Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs — also joined in paying tribute.
In his reflections, Professor Asif Nazrul described Umar as “a pioneer of free thought, fearless writing and independent intellectual practice,” noting that he consistently opposed oppression and injustice, inspiring leaders of Bangladesh’s July uprising.
NCP leader Nahid Islam called him a “renowned politician and thinker” who resisted both Mujib and Hasina governments, describing them as authoritarian, and who had been among the first to recognise the July uprising as a historic people’s revolt.
Filmmaker and adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said Umar had become “the most relevant intellectual in the making of a new Bangladesh after the 2024 uprising,” praising his refusal to distort history or appease power.
CPB’s Ruhin Hossain Prince highlighted his lifelong struggle “against the current,” while Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury recalled his uncompromising character, prolific writings and refusal to accept personal favours.
Zonayed Saki of Ganosamhati said Umar embodied “a life of resistance against greed” and remained an enduring inspiration. BNP’s Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel said he was an intellectual who “always stood for justice, opposing oppressors and siding with the oppressed.”
The outpouring of grief at the Shaheed Minar reflected the depth of respect for Umar, who remained a towering voice of dissent, resistance and uncompromising intellectual integrity until his final days.
SMS/
