By Hasnat Ariyan Khan :
Presently, there is no mention of his biography in school or college textbooks—not in Bangladesh, nowhere is his life and work discussed. And yet, was he not present significantly in our history in the 20th century? I can cite a few examples like other writers about him. In 1943, Syed Mahbub Murshed was by the side of famine-stricken people in undivided Bengal. During the communal riots of 1946, he participated in humanitarian and social welfare activities with the Anjuman Mufidul Islam. He visited temples of the Hindu community and provided them with reassurance. He was engaged in the struggle for liberation from British rule. In 1949, to reassure the minority and refugee communities of East Pakistan and West Bengal and to ensure their rights, he played a crucial role in participating in the historic Nehru-Liaquat Pact. In the 1960’s, while serving briefly as a adhoc Supreme Court judge, he was also the Chairman of the Red Cross providing relief and sucker to the flood and cyclone victims
During the 1952 Language Movement, on February 21, he defied Section 144 alongside his uncle, the undisputed leader of undivided Bengal, Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq. On February 21, 1952, he and his uncle were both briefly detained for leading a procession after attending the Janaza of the language movement martyrs. In the 1954 elections, he took a leading role in drafting the 21-point program along with Abul Mansoor Ahmed for the United Front. In 1956, he assisted as a judge, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy in drafting the first democratic constitution for Pakistan, which included provisions for parliamentary democracy. In 1961, he fought against Pakistani military leadership and took charge plus chaired the centennial celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth in East Pakistan, joining the struggle for Bengali cultural freedom. In early 1964, he became the Chief Justice of the High Court, and in 1966, he contributed to the final draft of the Six-Point Movement. In late 1967, at the peak of Ayub Khan’s dictatorship, he resigned as Chief Justice to join the democratic movement. Under the people’s leadership, he actively participated in the end of 1968-69 mass uprising and arranged legal support for the defendants of the Agartala Conspiracy Case. It was largely due to Syed Mahbub Murshed that all the accused in the Agartala Conspiracy Case were unconditionally released.
Then again, representing the dignified Bengali nation, he demanded the implementation of the one person, one vote principle at the Round Table Conference in 1969. Using this principle, he secured 169 out of 300 seats in the Pakistan National Assembly for the people of East Pakistan. Thus paving the way to forming a likely national government by the majority vote in East Pakistan.
Therefore, again in the 1970 elections, he being much respected influenced the defeat of the Pakistani Punjabi ruling clique. During the 1971 Liberation War, he refused to cooperate with the Pakistani illegitimate military authority. In protest of the brutalities and oppression by the ruling Pakistani Military faction, his heart sided openly with the Liberation War. Earlier on, Murshed’ mobilization with the High Court Bar association reached such a peak that in March 1971, no judge both out of fear and conviction was willing to administer the oath of office to General Tikka Khan as Governor of East Pakistan.
Even after the Liberation War, he never wavered in his commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law and social justice. Before the Liberation War, he advocated for the separation of the executive and judicial branches, and after the war, he continued to demand this separation. Murshed criticized various government activities that were against public interests but praised good deeds, and provided numerous valuable suggestions. He was the one who advised the late President Ziaur Rahman to establish SAARC. By the late-1970s, he had gradually started having ill health, and until his death on April 3, 1979. He lived as the worthy heir of Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq.
Justice Syed Mahbub Murshed was one of the most fascinating figures in our national political landscape. Born on January 11, 1911, into an esteemed family in Murshidabad, the land of Bengal of last independent Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah.he was an outstanding student, securing the top position in every class. He ranked first in the matriculation examination from the Bogra Zilla School in 1926, earning the highest marks in the larger Rajshahi division. After his entrance exam, he became a student at Kolkata’s Presidency College, graduating with a BA (Honors) in Economics in 1930 with flying colors. He completed his MA in Economics in 1932 and his LLB in 1933 from the University of Calcutta. In 1939, he completed his Bar-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn in the United Kingdom, ranking first with distinction among participants from British India that year.
However, his scholarly pursuits extended well beyond academics. He was widely knowledgeable in history, philosophy, political science, economics, law, sociology, theology, and English literature. Alongside Bengali, he was fluent in English, Arabic, Persian, Hindi, and Urdu. During his student years, he read notable works in Bengali, English, Persian, and Urdu literature. He was also active in literary and cultural activity during college days, serving as editor of the Presidency College Magazine. Renowned as an orator, he led the debating team at the University of Calcutta and earned recognition in sports, organizing the famous Mohammedan Sporting Club in the 1930s. He possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of the works of Tagore, Nazrul, Iqbal, Shakespeare, Shelley, Keats, Tennyson, Hafiz, and Sheikh Sadi. His writings and speeches captivated readers and audiences with objective opinions, refined thought, depth of character, subtle humor, profound literary interest, resonant language, and an unshakeable sense of humanity.
As a patriotic Bengali, he, like his uncle the Sher-e-Bangla, opposed the partition of Bengal. Although divided by British conspiracies, the Bengali nation remained united in spirit, sharing the same language, food, and culture, along with the same shared sky and dreams. Even after Murshed’s death, he continues to inspire; his absence becomes more deeply felt with the passage of time. In his last words, he expressed, even after my death, my spirit will linger around precincts of the bar and in every legal framework. So, we search for him within courtrooms, on the paths of law, in the streets, in peaceful gatherings, and mainly in our struggles. Where can we find him! Will there ever be another Justice Murshed
(The Author Hasnat Ariyan Khan is a Researcher and Convenor of United Bengal Movement based in London UK).
