September 7, 2025, marks a day of deep mourning for Bangladesh’s political and cultural arena. On this day, we lost an uncompromising Marxist thinker, one of the foremost faces of the Left, and a tireless fighter with the pen–Comrade Badruddin Umar. Across nearly a century of life, he left behind a legacy of struggle, intellectual pursuit, and organizational leadership that remains an invaluable treasure for future generations.
Born on December 20, 1931, in Bardhaman, West Bengal, into a politically conscious family, Umar grew up in an environment steeped in progressive ideals. His father, Abul Hashim, was a noted Muslim League leader who opposed communal politics and stood for progressive causes. These influences nurtured Umar’s early awareness of national liberation and social justice. After the Partition, he moved to East Bengal, pursued studies at Dhaka University, and later went to England, where he acquired a deep command of philosophy, history, and political science.
He began his career as a teacher at Dhaka University and later at Rajshahi University, where he became a beloved figure among students. Yet in 1968, he resigned from academia, convinced that the role of a true intellectual could not be confined to classrooms but had to be rooted in people’s struggles. That decision marked the beginning of his lifelong journey as an active political and cultural revolutionary.
Before independence, Umar was deeply engaged in the Left movement. As one of the leading figures of the East Pakistan Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)–EPCP-ML–he provided both theoretical and organizational leadership against imperialism, Pakistani military rule, and communal politics. He stood with student and workers’ struggles, playing a crucial role in the 1969 mass uprising and broader democratic movements of the time.
His writings carved out a unique intellectual space in Bengali society. Works such as ‘Sampradayikata (1966)’, ‘Sanskritir Sankat (1967)’, and ‘Sanskritik Sampradayikata (1969)’ dissected the oppressive structures of Pakistani rule and the dangers of communal division. His extensive research on the Language Movement and East Bengal politics remains among the most authoritative historical accounts. In ‘The Emergence of Bangladesh’, he interpreted the Liberation War through the lens of class struggle. His monumental five-volume autobiography ‘Amar Jiban’ blends personal experience with the political and social history of Bangladesh.
During the Liberation War of 1971, Umar unequivocally supported independence, framing its true meaning within the context of socialist transformation. After independence, he became the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist–Leninist)–CPBML–and led it firmly on Marxist–Leninist principles. He also played leading roles in National Liberation Council.
Umar’s political analysis never pretended neutrality; it was always an unflinching stance against the interests of the ruling classes. Neither the Awami League nor the BNP escaped his critique, for he consistently showed how both upheld capitalist exploitation and imperialist dominance. His writings and speeches thus became weapons in the hands of workers, peasants, and ordinary people.
Even in his final years, despite illness, he remained active—writing, debating, and inspiring new generations. On September 7, 2025, he breathed his last at Bangladesh Specialized Hospital in Dhaka. His funeral prayer will be held on September 8 at the Dhaka University Central Mosque, followed by burial at Jurain graveyard.
Badruddin Umar’s life reminds us that the struggle for justice is never mere theory—it is continuous practice, a lifelong battle. He was at once a thinker, an organizer, and a revolutionary. His death is an immense loss for the Left movement in Bangladesh, but his writings, teachings, and history of struggle will continue to illuminate the path of future movements.
Badrul Alam
General Secretary
Communist Party of Bangladesh(Marxist-Leninist)-CPBML
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