Bot at 10:46, 18 November 2022

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{{short description|Bengali academic}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = [[Shahid]] Dr.
| name = Mohammad Abdul Muktadir
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Abdul Muktadir.jpg
| alt = 
| caption =
| native_name = মোহাম্মদ আবদুল মুক্তাদির
| native_name_lang = bn
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|2|19}}
| birth_place = Pashchimpara, [[South Surma|Silam]], [[Sylhet District]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1971|3|25|1940|2|19}}
| death_place = [[East Pakistan]]
| body_discovered = Iqbal Hall (now Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall)
| burial_place = Paltan Graveyard
| burial_coordinates = 
| nationality =
| other_names = Mohammad Abdul Muqtadir
| citizenship = {{plainlist|
* [[British India]] (1940-1947)
* [[Pakistan]] (1947-1971)
}}
| education = {{plainlist|
* BSc [[Dhaka University]] (1960)
* MSc [[Dhaka University]] (1962)
* PhD [[University of London]] (1967)
}}
| occupation = Lecturer
| years_active = 1964-1971
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
'''Mohammad Abdul Muktadir''' was a Bengali geologist and academic who was killed in the [[1971 Dhaka University massacre]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://en.prothomalo.com/opinion/Our-pathfinders|date=15 Dec 2019|website=[[Prothom Alo]]|author=Matiur Rahman|title=Our pathfinders|type=Opinion}}</ref> He is considered a martyr in [[Bangladesh]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/magazine/arts-letters/2019/12/14/massacre-of-the-bengali-intellectuals-in-1971|title=Massacre of the Bengali intellectuals in 1971|website=[[Dhaka Tribune]]|date=14 Dec 2019|author=Prof. Rafiqul Islam}}</ref>{{Failed verification |date=August 2021 |reason= Makes no mention of martyrdom.}}

==Early life==
Abdul Muktadir was the third child born into a [[Bengali Muslim]] family in Pashchimpara, [[South Surma|Silam]], [[Sylhet District]] on 19 February 1940. His mother was Begum Moshaheda Khanom. His father Abdul Jabbar was a renowned [[Moulvi]] and social activist, as well as the founder and headmaster of Silam PL Junior High School. Abdul Jabbar also used to voluntarily teach at the Jalalpur Alia Madrasa in [[Sylhet Sadar]]. Abdul Muktadir had two brothers and four sisters. His youngest brother was Abdul Qadir Jalaluddin.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://shubhoprotidin24.com/?p=3168|website=Shubho Protidin|date=25 May 2019|script-title=bn:শহীদ বুদ্ধিজীবী ড. আব্দুল মুক্তাদিরের ছোট ভাই আব্দুল কাদিরের ইন্তেকাল|language=bn}}</ref>

Abdul Muktadir studied in Chakerbazar Government Primary School and then Silam PL Junior High School. In 1956 he graduated from [[Raja G. C. High School]] and in 1958 from [[Sylhet Government College]]. He completed bachelors and masters in geology from [[Dhaka University]] in 1960 and 1962 respectively.<ref name="aex">{{cite Banglapedia|author=Chowdhury, Sifatul Quader|article=Muktadir, Md Abdul}}</ref>

==Career==
In July 1963, Muktadir was an assistant geologist with the East Pakistan [[Bangladesh Water Development Board|Water and Power Development Authority]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Questions and Answers: Names of Gazetted Officers Serving under the EPWAPDA with their qualifications and pays, etc. |journal=Assembly Proceedings; Official Report |volume=24 |issue=3 |year=1964 |location=Dacca |publisher=East Pakistan Government Press |pages=317, 324}}</ref> He then joined the faculty of Dhaka University on 19 October 1964 as a lecturer of geology. He earned his PhD in [[hydrology]] in the University of London. He received further training on hydrology as part of technical assistance from the British Government.<ref name="aex" /> By 1968 at least, he was a senior lecturer.<ref>{{cite book|title=Handbook of the Universities of Pakistan|date=1968|publisher=InterUniversity Board of Pakistan|page=37|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9qySJZyRkA8C&q=Md+Abdul+Muktadir|access-date=11 July 2017|language=en}}</ref> He intended to travel to the [[United States]] for further research.

==Death and legacy==
Abdul Muktadir was killed by the [[Pakistan Army]] on 25 March 1971 at the onset of [[Operation Searchlight]] during the [[1971 Dhaka University massacre|Dhaka University massacre]].<ref name="aex" /> He was reportedly getting ready for [[Fajr prayer]] with his three-month pregnant wife,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-67213|website=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]]|title=Martyred Intellectuals: Children cry for justice|date=15 Dec 2022}}</ref> when someone knocked on his door at his ground floor flat.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Colonel who Would Not Repent: The Bangladesh War and Its Unquiet Legacy|page=77|author=Tripathi, Salil|year=2016|publisher=[[Yale University]] Press}}</ref> Opening the door, he was grabbed by the men and shot at his own residence at Number 12 Fuller Road.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.war-memorial.net/Dhaka-University-Massacre-1971-%E2%80%93-a-list-of-killed-students-and-staff-4.331|website=The Polynational War Memorial|title=Dhaka University Massacre 1971 – a list of killed students and staff}}</ref> He and his wife then ran upstairs, taking shelter in the third floor at the flat of Dr Syed Ali Naki. They could not sleep seeing fire outside the window and hearing screams and the sounds of the army vehicles. At sunrise, they could see from the window that 10 to 15 soldiers were walking towards the estate holding pieces of paper. The soldiers ordered them to come downstairs. Ali Naki went down and was attacked by 4 to 5 soldiers. Abdul Muktadir and his wife were standing at the balcony. A soldier entered and said to Abdul Muktadir "tum Joy Bangla bolta, Pakistan nahi chahta" before shooting him at his chest and stomach whilst his wife begged for the soldier to stop. She stood twice at gunpoint whilst pregnant and both times the soldier pushed her away. Before getting up for the third time, Abdul Muktadir was dead.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=bn:মো. আবদুল মুকতাদির|website=Songramer Notebook|date=14 February 2020 |language=bn|url=https://songramernotebook.com/archives/112822#gsc.tab=0}}</ref> His body was dragged and dumped either at a mass grave in Rayerbazar with some of his other colleagues or as some sources say at Iqbal Hall (now Sergeant Zahurul Huq Hall). After recovering his body, his relatives buried him near a mosque situated next to his father-in-law's house at 78/A Purana Paltan.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/starinsight/2009/04/01/behind.htm|publisher=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]]|title=Abdul Muktadir, Martyr, Geologist|author=Siddiquee, Iqbal|date=11 Apr 2009|archive-date=29 Oct 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029015638/https://www.thedailystar.net/starinsight/2009/04/01/behind.htm|volume=2|issue=5|magazine=Star Insight|location=[[Sylhet]]}}</ref>

The [[University of Dhaka]]'s Geology Department named their museum after him as Shahid Muktadir Museum.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.du.ac.bd/academic/department_item/GLG|title= Department of Geology|website=[[University of Dhaka]]}}</ref> Postage stamps were issued by the government to honour him. In his village in Sylhet, a primary school was established named Dr. Muktadir Academy. Professor [[Sadruddin Ahmed Chowdhury]] of [[Shahjalal University of Science and Technology]] has considered starting a chair at his university named after Abdul Muktadir.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muktadir, Abdul}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:1971 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century geologists]]
[[Category:Pakistani geologists]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of London]]
[[Category:People killed in the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:University of Dhaka faculty]]
[[Category:People from Dakshin Surma Upazila]]

Abdul Muktadir - Revision history

Bot at 10:46, 18 November 2022