Day 9 in Dhaka

Jan 20, 2012

Just like any other big city, trafiic is horrible in Dhaka. I have seen traffic in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. I hate to say it but traffic in Dhaka is worse than that. I can go on and on about it. My first appointment of the say was with Mr. Amiya Kanti Mutsuddy at 11 AM. I felt really bad that by the time I reached his house, it was Noon. I was told that the locals of Dhaka city knows about the traffic jam and will understand. It is very common to be an hour or so late for an appointment!

Anyway, I was welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Mutsuddy to their home. Mr. Mutsuddy sat down and talked to me about his partition experience. He was born in Rangunia, Chittagong in British India. He went to a local primary, Kadamtoli School as a child. He had many Hindu and Muslim friends along with Budhdhist friends. They often attended each others social and religious festivals. There were no communal riots in his village before or after partition. Shortly after partition, he saw many of the Hindu families migrating to Calcutta. However, the Budhdhist community that he belonged to pretty much stayed back in Chittagong. The Budhdhist community was so small that no one felt threatened by them.

Mr. Mutsuddy talks about his '47 experience

It was only after partition that little Amiya realized things have changed in the new country. When he was in 6th grade, Urdu became compulsory in school. That was the first blow of partition. Chittagong's commerce was primarily run by HIndu merchants. Most of the Hindus (Marwaris) left after '47. Later it was the Aga Khanis who ran most business. After 1971, they too left. Mr. Mutsuddy gave me an example, the village Shahapara in his area had 50% Hindus, 40% Budhdhists and 10% Muslims. Now, there are almost no Hindus left in Shahapara. Mr. Mutsuddy joined Pakistan Civil Service in 1966. He felt the descrimination as soon as he joined. He Bengali officers were required to lean Urdu, however, the W. Pakistani officers were not required to learn Bangla eventhough 60% of the Pakistan's population spoke Bangla. The Bengalis held less than 10% posts in civil service, in Army, Navy and Foreign Service. The war in 1971 was inevitable. Mr. Mustsuddy was a Deputy Magistrate in Bhola in 1971. He saw how the Pakistani Army destroyed all of the Hindu houses, looted their business. When asked, the officer incharge said, "Ye to Hogai" (This was bound to happen)".

Mr. Mutduddy graduated from Dhaka University in 1961

Mr. Mutsuddy helped the freedom fighters in many ways and protected the people in his area. He retired as a joint Secretary of the Bangladesh government and lives in Dhaka with his wife.

My second interviewee of the day was Mr. Mohammad Abdul Hannan. Mr. Hannan was born on 31st Oct 1947 in Karimganj, Assam, India. He has not seen the partition of the country but has very much experienced the aftermath. Mr. Hannan and his family is originally from Karimganj, Assam. However, the border that was drawn between India and Pakistan left Karimganj in India. Mr. Hannan migrated to Sylhet, East Pakistan and lived with his uncle in 1954 while his parents continued to stay  back in Karimganj. Those days it was not too hard to travel between India and Pakistan. Mr.Hannan travelled 3/4 times with his Indian passport. Eventhough he lived and went to school in Sylhet, E. Pakistan, he held onto his Indian passport as his parents were back in Karihganj. It was only after the 1965 India-Pakistan war that the border patrol became tough. Karimganj was a Muslim majority town before partition. But it saw the exodus of Muslims leaving for Sylhet and flux of Hindus from Sylhet. By the '60s it was becoming tough for Muslims to stay back in Karimganj. There was a huge riot in 1967. His family sold their land and joined him in Sylhet. Mr. Hannan bought an 'enemy property' (belonging to a Hindu who left for India) and settled in Sylhet.

Mr. Mohammad Abdul Hannan talks about his home back in Karimganj, India.

He retired as the Headmaster of Baralekha Girls' High School and now lives in Dhaka with his family. Mr. Hannan told me, "We became independent in 1947 and again in 1971. But I do not see any difference"