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{{Short description|Bangladeshi philosopher (1900–1985)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}{{Use British English|date=November 2010}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Aroj Ali Matubbar
| native_name = আরজ আলী মাতুব্বর
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = Aroj Ali Matubbar.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1900|12|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Charbaria Lamchari]], [[Barisal District]], [[Bengal Presidency]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|3|15|1900|12|17|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Barisal]], Bangladesh
| education = No formal institutional degree
| occupation = [[Rationalist]], [[philosopher]]
| notable_works = {{unbulleted list|''Satyer Sandhan''|''Sristirahasya''|''Anuman''|''Muktaman''}}
| awards = {{unbulleted list|Life Member of [[Bangla Academy (Bangladesh)|Bangla Academy]]|[[Humayun Kabir (Bengal politician)|Humayun Kabir]] Smriti Puraskar|Award of Honour by the [[Barisal]] branch of Udichi Shilpigoshti}}
}}

'''Aroj Ali Matubbar''' ({{langx|bn|আরজ আলী মাতুব্বর}}; 17 December 1900 – 15 March 1985) was a self-taught Bangladeshi [[philosopher]], [[Humanism|humanist]] and [[rationalist]]. He is known for his critical perspectives on [[religion]], [[superstition]], and [[tradition]]al beliefs, which he expressed in his writings.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Roy|first1=Pradip Kumar|title=Matubbar, Aroj Ali|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Matubbar,_Aroj_Ali|website=Banglapedia|publisher=Bangladesh Asiatic Society|accessdate=15 October 2016}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Matubbar was born into a poor peasant family in the village of [[Charbaria Lamchari]], about {{convert|11|km}} from the city of [[Barisal]] in [[British India]], now [[Bangladesh]].<ref name=":0" /> His given name was Aroj Ali, but he later adopted the name Matubbar, meaning "local landowner". He briefly attended the village [[maqtab]], focusing on the [[Quran|Qur'an]] and [[Islamic studies]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

Matubbar's father died when he was 12 years old. He inherited a 2-acre (8,100 m²) plot, which was auctioned off because he could not pay the land taxes as a minor. He was later forcibly [[Eviction|evicted]] from his ancestral homestead by a local landowner. Matubbar supported himself through charity and as a farm laborer.

Unable to afford formal schooling, he initially relied on free religious instruction at a local [[mosque]]'s maqtab but left due to rigid learning methods. A benefactor {{who|date=May 2025}} helped him finish Bengali primers. Kazi Ghulam Quadir, a philosophy teacher at [[Brojomohun College]], assisted him in borrowing books from the college library.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

==Philosophy==
Matubbar's work is characterized by critical and [[Freethought|freethinking]] views on religion, superstition, and traditional beliefs. His writings questioned established norms and religious doctrines, particularly within the context of [[Islam]] in [[religion in Bangladesh|Bangladeshi religion]].

He wrote several books, including ''Rachana Samagra'' (Vol. I, II, III), ''Macglashan Chula'', ''Sristirahasya'', ''Onuman'', ''Oprokashito Rochona'', ''Soronika'', and ''Muktaman''. His work primarily examined religious practices, rituals, and superstitions, advocating for a more rational and scientific approach.

His book ''Satyer Sandhan'' ({{Translation|'The Quest for Truth'}}) reportedly led to his arrest and detention by the authorities. Throughout his life, he faced harassment and threats due to his writings, which often critically engaged with religious tenets and claims.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Selim |first=Nasima |date=2010 |title=An extraordinary truth? The Ādam "suicide" notes from Bangladesh |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13674670903061230 |journal=Mental Health, Religion & Culture |language=English |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=223–244 |doi=10.1080/13674670903061230 |s2cid=145789923 |issn=1367-4676|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Death==
Matubbar died on 15 March 1985 (1st [[Chaitra]] of the [[Bengali year]] 1392) in [[Barisal]], Bangladesh. After his death, his eyes<ref name=":0" /> and body were donated; the body was given to the Anatomy Department of [[Sher-e-Bangla Medical College]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-12-22 |title=Aroj Ali Matubbar remembered |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/aroj-ali-matubbar-remembered-3464 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309214005/http://www.thedailystar.net:80/aroj-ali-matubbar-remembered-3464 |archive-date=2017-03-09 |access-date=2025-04-14 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref>

In the years following, Matubbar became recognized as a significant figure in rural Bangladesh by scholars and commentators for challenging entrenched beliefs and superstitions.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Matubbara |first1=Aroj Ali |editor1-last=Siddiqui |editor1-first=Zillur Rahman |editor2-last=Karim |editor2-first=Sardar Fazlul |editor3-last=Islam |editor3-first=S. Manzoorul |translator1-last=Shamsuddoha |translator1-first=M. |translator2-last=Majumdar |translator2-first=A. T. |title=The Quest for Truth: Secular Philosophy |year=1998 |publisher=Pathak Shamabesh |isbn=978-984-8120-11-8 |page=186}}</ref>

== ''Satyer Sandhan'' ==
Matubbar drew the cover of his first book—written in 1952 and published twenty-one years later, in 1973—under the title ''Satyer Sandhan''. In the preface, he wrote:

{{Quote|text=I was thinking of many things, my mind was full of questions, but haphazardly. I then started jotting down questions, not for writing a book, but only to remember these questions later. Those questions were driving my mind towards an endless ocean and I was gradually drifting away from the fold of religion.}}

In this book, he presented six propositions exploring his philosophical inquiries, with each addressing a distinct topic:

# The [[soul]] (8 questions)
# God (11 questions)
# The [[afterlife]] (7 questions)
# Religious matters (22 questions)
# Nature (10 questions)
# Remaining topics (9 questions)

The eight questions of his first proposition illustrate his approach:{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}

{{ordered list
| type = lower-roman|Who am I?|Is life [[Incorporeality|incorporeal]] or [[Corporealism in Islam|corporeal]]?|Are the [[mind]] and soul one and the same?|What is the relationship of life with the body and the mind?|Can we recognize or identify life?|Am I free?|Will the soul without a body continue to have "knowledge" after it leaves the body at death?|How does life come into and go out of the body?
}}
==Written works==
Matubbar's writing style has been described as unusual.<ref>{{cite web |title=5 years of Mukto-Mona |url=http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/sirajul_islam_chy/aroj1.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015162621/https://mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/sirajul_islam_chy/aroj1.htm |archive-date=2016-10-15 |website=Mukto Mona |language=bn}}</ref> In Bangladesh, his writings were censored, reportedly due to concerns that they might lead to social corruption and disharmony.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kabir |first=Md Anwarul |date=26 November 2004 |title=Letters to Editor: Freedom of speech |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/11/26/d41126110379.htm |newspaper=The Daily Star}}</ref> His writings include:<ref name="Books">{{Cite web |title=Books |url=https://arojali.com/en/books/ |access-date=2022-10-02 |website=Aroj Ali Matubbar |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Satyer Sandhan'' ({{Translation|'The Quest for Truth'}}), 1973
* ''Sristirahasya'' ({{Translation|'The Mystery of Creation'}}), 1977
* ''Anuman'' ({{Translation|'Estimation'}}), 1983
* ''Muktaman'' ({{Translation|'Free Mind'}}), 1988

Several unpublished manuscripts were published posthumously under the title ''Aroj Ali Matubbar Rachanabali''. Some of his writings were translated into English and compiled in a volume published by Pathak Samabesh.<ref name="Books"></ref>

==Recognition and awards==
Matubbar was not widely known during most of his lifetime, though he gained recognition among academics in his later years. Public interest in his books grew after his writings were collected and published, as his works explored complex philosophical questions despite his lack of formal academic validation. He became widely known after his death in 1985.
* Life Member of [[Bangla Academy (Bangladesh)|Bangla Academy]], inducted in 1985
* Awarded the '[[Humayun Kabir (Bengal politician)|Humayun Kabir]] Smriti Puraskar' (Humayun Kabir Memorial Prize) in 1978 by the [[Bangladesh Lekhak Shibir]]
* Award of Honour by the [[Barisal]] branch of [[Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi]] in 1982<ref name=":0" />
Matubbar's life and writings have inspired numerous articles, reviews, novels, and stage dramas.<ref name=":1" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matubbar, Aroj Ali}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Bangladeshi male writers]]
[[Category:Bengali-language writers]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi humanists]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi agnostics]]
[[Category:Honorary Fellows of Bangla Academy]]
[[Category:20th-century Bangladeshi philosophers]]
[[Category:People from Barisal Sadar Upazila]]
[[Category:Writers from Barisal District]]

Aroj Ali Matubbar - Revision history

ErlindaLamson9 at 03:07, 5 February 2026