Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque
A public minded educator and convenor of National Language Bangla Raksha Committee”.

Hakikul Islam Khokan

Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque is a bright star name among the wise thinkers of Bangladesh. He is not only a teacher, but as an essayist, researcher, political thinker and social analyst, he has been enriching the intellectual spectrum of the country for a long time. Journalist Ariful Islam Murad told ABN News.
He was born on September 30, 1940 in Pakundia, Kishoreganj subdivision of Mymensingh district. Father Muhammad Abdul Hakim and mother Jahanara Khatun. From the family environment, he was attracted towards knowledge and human values. In his personal life, his wife Farida Pradhan. His two children are Shuchita Sharmin and Faisal Arefin Dipan.

Notably, Shuchita Sharmin is an educator and university administrator performing important duties; And Deepan was the proprietor of Jagriti Prakashani, who was brutally murdered in 2015—a shock to the country’s cultural milieu.

He was very talented in education. After matriculating from Mymensingh Zilla School, he completed his higher secondary from Anandmohan College and obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Bengali language and literature from Dhaka University.

During his student life he came in contact with progressive thinkers like Munir Chowdhury, Ahmad Sharif, Humayun Azad and Neelima Ibrahim and his thinking was further developed.

During his professional career, he has taught for nearly four decades in the Bengali Department of Dhaka University and also served as the department president. His teaching was not limited to the curriculum; He taught students to think, encouraged to ask questions.

He was both a humanist and a pragmatist in thought and action. He played an active role in the question of language and culture as the convenor of the “Rashtra Bhasha Bangla Raksha Committee”. He emphasized the importance of people’s beliefs and reality in social change—because, according to him, no lasting change is possible without ignoring people’s feelings.

His contribution to writing is extensive and multidimensional. State, Society, Politics, Philosophy, History,He wrote logical and analytical works on almost all important subjects of economics. Among his notable books are Mukti Sangram, Politics and Philosophy, Rashtrachintaye Bangladesh, Human Nature, Swadeshchinta etc. Besides, he was also involved in many important editing works including the translation of Bertrand Russell’s books.

Since 1982, he has been editing a contemplative magazine called Lokayat, an important outlet for deep thought on society and culture. Morality, rationalism and desire for human liberation are clearly reflected in his thought.

In recognition of his literature and research, he received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1981. Apart from this, Alaol has been awarded with many other awards including the Sahitya Award.

On 27 October 2024, he took over as the president of Bangla Academy—an important recognition of his long pursuit.
One thing is always clear in the writings of Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque – the dream of human liberation, a just society and a better future. He believed that the awakening of thought can advance the society.

His pen is therefore not only a medium of literary practice, but a powerful tool for social change.
In short, he is a thinker who knows,Tried to enlighten the society with the light of morality and humanity – and is still doing it.