Sorry Mushtaq bhai, I couldn’t show you this fascist-free country: Ashfaque Nipun

As a new Bangladesh emerges after Sheikh Hasina's 15-year-long tyrannical reign, filmmaker Ashfaque Nipun reflects on the late writer Mushtaq Ahmed, who courageously wielded his pen against the fascist regime that sought to silence dissent through the notorious Digital Security Act.

The "Mohanagar" director shared a heartfelt tribute, expressing his deep respect for Mushtaq Ahmed and lamenting that he couldn't show the fearless writer a liberated nation, free from dictatorship.

"Respected Mushtaq bhai, I never had the privilege of knowing you, and now that chance is gone forever. You didn't live to see a Bangladesh free from fascism, now celebrating its liberation. The fight for freedom you initiated with your pen years ago has been brought victory by the students and the people today," Nipun wrote.

He further reflected on the irony that those who tormented Mushtaq in prison are now fleeing, and how he wished he could have saved him to witness this day.

"As long as you were alive, I fought for your freedom, but I couldn't save you. I couldn't show you this liberated country, or share a simple cup of tea in a free nation. This victory is as much yours as it is Abu Sayed's, Mir Mugdho's, and countless other martyrs," he added.

Nipun emphasised that Mushtaq was one of the earliest martyrs in the struggle against the fascist regime, a voice of courage when fear kept others silent.

"Wherever you are, know that during this turbulent liberation, someone is quietly remembering you and dedicating this victory to you. Be well on the other side, Mushtaq bhai, and keep giving me courage," the director concluded.

Mushtaq Ahmed, who wrote under the pseudonym Michael Kumir Thakur, was arrested in May 2020 under the Digital Security Act (DSA) for criticising the then-Awami government. He tragically died in police custody on February 25, 2021, after enduring severe torture. 

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Justice for his death remains elusive. His notable work, "Kumir Chasher Diary", was published in November 2018, and he was working on another book at the time of his arrest. He was also an outspoken critic of the government's handling of the pandemic.