Language movement hero Matin no more

Language Movement veteran Abdul Matin is no more. He died on Wednesday morning at the age of 88 after suffering prolonged illness.

Popularly known as Bhasha Matin, the language hero, also a renowned left politician, breathed his last at the intensive care unit (ICU) of at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital around 9:00am, said Gulbadan Nesa Monika, his widow.

He had been under treatment at the ICU since August 19. He was put on life support after his condition deteriorated on October 3, medical and family sources said.

Matin suffered a stroke on August 18 and then had to undergo a surgery at the BSMMU. He had been in coma since then. Earlier, he had an open-heart surgery in 1997.

At noon today (Thursday), his body will lie in state at the Central Shaheed Minar so that people can pay their last respects to him.

Later, the family members will hand over his body to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as he had denoted his body for the anatomical study of medical students.

He led a simple life and participated in various other movements as a leftwing politician. He was awarded Ekushey Padak. Dhaka University in 2008 conferred an honorary doctor-of-law degree on him for his role in the Language Movement.  

At the height of a movement for right to the mother tongue, the Pakistan government had imposed a ban on rallies under section 144 on February 21 in 1952.    

On a decision coming from a student rally on the DU campus, Abdul Matin, convenor of all-party state language movement committee, led the agitating students out onto the streets. The Pakistani police fired on the protesters, leaving some of them dead.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the demise of Matin, agency reports said. BNP chairperson and ex-PM Khaleda Zia also condoled on the language hero's death.     

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