The 'Idiot' and an MP

The AL MP from Fenchuganj, Sylhet, Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury, in a speech on May 9, in his constituency, termed Professor Zafar Iqbal of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), an eminent scientist, popular author and an iconic figure for our younger generation, a “One hundred thousand percent idiot”. He also blamed him for being a 'leftist' conspirator and expressed his wish that “If I had the power I would lash Zafar Iqbal with a whip”.

Except in a 'master-slave' context “whipping” is not usually used as an intended form of punishment in our country. In spite of the highly charged and denigrating political rhetoric we are used to seeing in our country, none of our political leaders have declared their wish to “whip” their opponents.

How come a PhD in physics from Caltech University of the US, a former Bell Lab scientist, a key figure in developing science faculty and IT facilities in SUST and a highly respected, popular professor of physics, should suddenly become such a “fool” that a public representative felt compelled to 'expose' the venerable professor to be the “idiot” that he was?  What was his 'conspiracy' and what made him deserve no less a punishment than to be “whipped” are some of the questions that have been agitating the public mind ever since that statement was made.

The man the MP had the temerity to call “one hundred thousand percent idiot” is the one who returned from a lucrative job in the US with his equally qualified wife, both joining, in 1994, the SUST, established only three years earlier in 1991, one as head of computer science and engineering department and the other, Dr. Yasmeen Huq, as a faculty member. Being privileged to know them both intimately over a long period of time, I am fully aware of their devotion to teaching, commitment to our country and unwavering attachment to the spirit and values of our liberation war.

Zafar Iqbal and his illustrious brother Humayun Ahmed lost most of their male family members, including their father who was in the police service, to the genocidal Pakistani army in 1971. They were raised by their iron-willed mother under very trying circumstances and with tremendous financial difficulties. Both these brothers grew up to be extraordinary writers and have heightened the country's prestige.

Zafar Iqbal's other specialty has been his inspirational role in inculcating the spirit of our Liberation War and especially raising interest in the history of our independence struggle among the youth. Both through his simple yet extraordinary writing and his tireless engagement with school, college and university students, he has done wonders in rekindling a thirst among our youth to know about our struggles and rearm themselves with a pride and sense of achievement. We all owe him a great debt of gratitude for doing something that we freedom fighters have not been successful in doing. His voice, along with that of the nation, was one of the loudest in support of the war crimes trial.

So naturally my heart is filled with a deep sense of anger, indignation and resentment at this humiliation of a patriot. I am aghast at the audacity of this MP to want to “whip” a man like Zafar Iqbal and denigrate him in such a manner. I am also outraged by the silence of the ruling party, the community of other public representatives and the government itself on this matter. We deliberately waited before writing in the hope that there would be some show, if not of remorse, but at least of courtesy to the man who has worked tirelessly to uphold the values that the ruling party proclaims to do.

In addition to protecting the reputation of such an iconic figure what prompted us to write is to protect the personal prestige of honourable citizens of this country. Does an MP, or for that matter anybody, have the right to insult another citizen, leave alone a man of Zafar Iqbal's stature?

I am not aware of the personal qualification of the said MP or how he has earned the 'right' to insult another citizen but I can say with little risk of being contradicted that what he has done is something that deserves to be condemned by every decent and educated person. We strongly protest his demeaning Zafar Iqbal and expect, if he has any sense of decency and shame, to apologise to him unequivocally. We also expect that the party he belongs to should do the same because, after all, every action of a party MP reflects on the party itself.

Regrettably, we sense a rising tendency to insult intellectuals and subjecting them to denigration and ridicule. We would like to warn that if a society, a polity and a country cannot ensure honour and dignity to decent and law abiding citizens, then such a nation will end up morally bankrupt. More so if we cannot show due respect to people who dedicate their lives for the betterment of the nation and who work selflessly to raise legitimate pride in our culture and history among the youth, then truly we are  unworthy of having such noble personalities amongst us. And we can all visualise our future without such iconic figures.