Remembering Sheikh Kamal

I was involved with the Dhanmondi Club of Dhaka (now called Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club) since 1973 as a member of its Table Tennis team. It was here in 1974 that I came across and got acquainted with Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as he was serving as the president of the Club at that juncture.

Following the independence of the country, valiant freedom fighter and a commissioned officer of Bangladesh Liberation Army Sheikh Kamal returned to civilian life in 1972 to continue his studies at the Dhaka University. It was during this period that he played a pioneering role in reorganizing the sporting arena of metropolitan Dhaka.

An accomplished cricketer and basketball player who regularly played in Metropolis First Division Cricket and Basketball Leagues, he displayed great acumen as a sports organizer. Although in his mid-twenties at that time, he almost single-handedly brought Abahani Krira Chakra to the centre-stage of national sports as its president. Abahani KC was the trendsetter during those days with charismatic football players like Salahuddin, Amalesh, Nannu and Chunnu weaving magic in the green playing fields. Sheikh Kamal also contributed significantly to the resurgence of neighboring clubs like Dhanmondi and Surjo Torun. The games in which he took interest included Football, Cricket, Hockey, Basketball, Volleyball and Table Tennis.

My first encounter with Sheikh Kamal was on the lush green compound of Dhanmondi Club back in 1974. Tall, lanky, bespectacled with a curly moustache hanging out from his handsome face, he used to display the confidence of a veteran sports organizer. When I met him for the first time, he was presiding over a meeting of Dhanmondi Club executive committee while sitting on the cement benches laid-out on the ground. The then general secretary of Dhanmondi Club Rahmatullah bhai and another official Jawad bhai (later physician of Abahani Krira Chakra as well as the national cricket team, now sadly expired) were also present among others. I was very much impressed by Kamal bhai's deft handling of the meeting, his keenness and alacrity of mind.

Dhanmondi Club was going through a crisis then, but like a miracle-man, Sheikh Kamal offered one solution after another to the multifarious problems that were raised. He knew the art of inspiring people and I can still recall one of his remarks: "Dhanmondi Club ground is famous worldwide because Bangabandhu himself offers his Eid prayers here". He sounded very keen about professionalism in sports and told the club officials: "None of our players will stay with us if we do not provide them with a professional environment. Even I cannot play for your Basketball team if you do not extend me due facilities". Sheikh Kamal, by the way, was a member of Dhanmondi Club Basketball team which played in the Metropolis Basketball League. He also played either Hockey or Volleyball for Surjo Tarun Club in the metropolis league.

The first national table tennis championship held in Dhaka in December 1974 was another occasion where I could observe his love for sports and sportsmen. The final of the men's team event was over. The Abahani players (comprising former national champion Munshi Noor Ahmed, former national runner-up Mahbub Reza Chowdhry, former Bangladesh open champion Kazi Nasiruddin Alim and charismatic Jasimuddin Ahmed) were exhausted after going down fighting (5-3) to Farashganj Sporting Club (composed of the famed Rafiq-Amjad-Mizan trio) in a thrilling final. Now it was the turn of the semi-finalists in the men's singles event to entertain the huge audience gathered at the indoor hall of National Coaching Centre in Purana Paltan, Dhaka. Incidentally, all four semi-finalists were from Abahani KC. But they were so tired that they found it impossible to get going. It was then the turn of Sheikh Kamal to intervene. He requested the officials of Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation to spare his players for the day. Initially, the Federation officials resisted, but finally they had to give in as all the players were from the same team. Although a trifling incident, it showed the concern and feeling that Sheikh Kamal nurtured for his fellow sportsmen.

A few days later, I was taking tea at the Dhanmondi Club tent along with the then national boys' table tennis champion Mustafa Shamim (I was then the national boys' runner-up). Suddenly Sheikh Kamal appeared on the doorway in a sprightly fashion, asked us about our wellbeing and then requested us to accompany the Dhanmondi Club footbal team (then playing in the second division of metropolis football league) to its league match at the Dhaka stadium. Although Sheikh Kamal was fully preoccupied with managing his very own Abahani, he spared no effort to serve the cause of his second outfit 'Dhanmondi Club' as well.

Kamal bhai's love for people in the sporting arena was once again demonstrated in 1975, when he opted for the then golden girl of athletics - Sultana Kamal - as his life's partner. It is a great tragedy for the whole nation that on the dark and fateful night of 15 August 1975, this 'couple royal' of our sporting arena had to embrace martyrdom along with Bangabandhu and other members of his family. May Almighty Allah grant them eternal peace and salvation.

The writer is a senior civil servant and former editor of Bangladesh Quarterly. Email: [email protected]