Badruddin Umar passes away

Badruddin Umar, a prominent writer, historian, and political thinker, passed away in Dhaka this morning at the age of 94.

"As Badruddin fell sick, he was taken to Bangladesh Specialised Hospital, where he died around 10:05am," Foizul Hakim, general secretary of Gono Mukti Council, told The Daily Star.

For more than six decades, Badruddin used his writing to challenge authority and highlight the struggles of ordinary people. His uncompromising commitment to truth and justice made him a symbol of integrity and courage in Bangladesh's intellectual and political spheres.

Badruddin served as president of the National Liberation Council and was a leading member of the country's Anti-Imperialist and Anti-Fascist Committee.

For over forty years, he also edited the left-leaning magazine 'Sanskriti', which became an influential platform for progressive thought.

In 1963, Badruddin joined Rajshahi University, where he founded both the Department of Political Science and the Department of Sociology.

He resigned in 1968 to devote himself entirely to political activism, following disagreements with the Pakistani government.

A prolific author, he wrote more than a hundred books and countless articles. His works include "Sampradayikata" (Communalism), "Sanskritir Sankat" (The Crisis of Culture), and "Sanskritik Sampradayikata" (Cultural Communalism), which provoked strong opposition from the military and civil authorities of East Pakistan.

Among his most acclaimed contributions are his three-volume study "Purba Banglar Bhasha Andolon o Tatkaleen Rajneeti" (The Language Movement in East Bengal and Contemporary Politics) and his two-volume work "The Emergence of Bangladesh", which remain central references in the nation's historical discourse.