A Daughter's Tribute to Our Guiding Light Tajuddin Ahmad

SHARMIN AHMAD

TAJUDDIN AHMAD and the birth of Bangladesh are interwoven in the collective memory of people who are in harmony with truth and justice. As his birthday on 23 July approaches, when he would have been 83 years old, if he were alive, a question looms large. How would Bangladesh look like if he had lived a few more years to lead and guide his beloved nation? He was a natural leader, endowed with the rare humane qualities of humility, compassion, commitment, integrity and a bird's eye vision to take Bangladesh to its new height. The nine glorious months of our liberation war is a testimony to his able leadership of gigantic scope and breadth. His untimely death, at the hands of the assassins, was not only a national loss but it also cast a shadow of hopelessness on the national psyche. Tajuddin was a rare breed of a leader in the ocean of moral bankruptcy whose ideals can still guide our nation to peace and prosperity. On Mahatma Gandhi's death (January 30, 1948), twenty two year old student-activist Tajuddin wrote in his journal, 'The man whom we mourn today was one who travelled his long way through darkness to light. Sometimes he had to hover in the darkness for light. He searched for light and lo! He himself was a light. A light can't be destroyed. What of that! The Pole star though unimaginably distant from us is always and the only guide for the people of ages in the dark arctic region.'

Little did young Tajuddin know as he wrote that particular entry, that one day, he would be destined to guide Bangladesh during the nine months of liberation war and lead it to victory. Just as he said, 'A Light can't be destroyed,' noble deeds and ideals are that inextinguishable light to guide us forever. Tajuddin, like all great world leaders, masters and seers, was such an immortal light.

On his birthday, I welcome you, dear reader, to take a glimpse of the website www.tajuddinahmad.com which celebrates the life and works of this great leader who was larger than life itself.

Sharmin Ahmed eldest daughter of Tajuddin Ahmed presently lives in Washington DC

Links on his life
TAJUDDIN AHMED : AN UNSUNG HERO [PART 01]
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpzTCoUvkok

TAJUDDIN AHMED : AN UNSUNG HERO [PART 02]
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbblQuf1ODk

TAJUDDIN AHMED : AN UNSUNG HERO [part 03]
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3aKLLqjqOI