Outrage Over Two-Year Delay in Relocating His Remains to the Intellectuals’ Graveyard
By Taskina Yeasmin (Dhaka Bureau)
Speakers at a memorial lecture commemorated the 25th death anniversary of Ahmad Sofa- one of Bangladesh’s most prominent thinkers, writers, and fiercely independent intellectuals. They emphasized that his philosophy remains profoundly relevant to building an exploitation-free, egalitarian, and developed Bangladesh.
Concurrently, prominent citizens expressed deep anger and regret that, despite Sofa being a core ideological inspiration for the youth-led July Revolution, his remains have still not been relocated to the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard due to bureaucratic red tape lasting nearly two years.
The observations were made on Saturday (July 18) during the ‘Ahmad Sofa Memorial Lecture 2026,’ organized by the Asian Society of Arts and Culture at the Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium of the Bangla Academy. The theme of this year’s lecture was ‘Ahmad Sofa: Remembrance or Distortion?’
Protesting Distortion in the Name of Reminiscence
Nurul Anwar, Ahmad Sofa’s nephew, dedicated researcher, and author, presented the keynote paper. He raised strong objections against a recent book by author Mohiuddin Ahmad, titled ‘Ahmad Sofa: Amar Kotha Koibe Pakhi’ (Ahmad Sofa: The Bird Will Speak for Me), accusing it of trivializing and belittling the great thinker.
‘The book attempts to present Sofa in a derogatory light under the guise of reminiscence. One can only realize how dangerous a friend can be after reading Mohiuddin’s text,’ Anwar stated.
In response to these perceived distortions, Anwar noted that he felt compelled to pen a counter-critique titled ‘Ahmad Sofa Smriti o Mohiuddin Samachar’ (Ahmad Sofa’s Memory and the Mohiuddin Chronicles).
Discussant Mahbub Kamal, Assistant Editor of the daily Jugantor, expressed sharp criticism regarding the factual reliability of Mohiuddin Ahmad’s political history books. He argued that bringing trivial and distasteful anecdotes into a memoir was a deliberate attempt to diminish a monumental character. Comparing Sofa to French Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau, Kamal recalled- ‘Sofa Bhai had a mind like Aristotle and a face like a child. He never gave us dogmatic political lessons because he firmly believed that institutional political conditioning destroys human creativity.’
Constructive Criticism and Global Footprints
Poet Mohan Raihan, President of the National Poetry Council, asserted that Ahmad Sofa cannot be judged by any negative writing. He described Sofa as the most courageous and uncompromising writer of his era- a true architect and guide for cultural and political consciousness.
Adding an international perspective, Abdul Haq, a prominent businessman and close friend of Sofa, recalled the thinker’s geopolitical foresight. He shared how Sofa had inspired him to strengthen bilateral and trade relations between Bangladesh and Japan. His subsequent efforts led to him receiving the highest civilian honor from the Government of Japan in 2022, where he formally acknowledged Ahmad Sofa as his ‘visionary mentor.’
Bureaucratic Inertia and State Neglect
Presiding over the event, eminent public intellectual Professor Salimullah Khan highlighted Sofa’s multidimensional genius. However, he expressed profound disappointment that even 25 years after his passing, administrative delays have stalled the relocation of Sofa’s grave.
Ahmad Sofa’s Grave Relocation Timeline: At a Glance:
2001: Denied proper state honors at the time of death due to political hostility.
2024 (Aug 5): Initiatives taken post-July Revolution to relocate remains to the Intellectuals’ Graveyard.
2026 (Present): Stalled in bureaucratic red tape between the Dhaka DC Office and the Public Works Ministry.
Professor Khan explained that despite being a valiant freedom fighter, Sofa was denied formal state honors by successive regimes because he lacked institutional paperwork. Following the student-led July Revolution on August 5, 2024, Nurul Anwar approached the Dhaka District Administration to relocate the grave. Although the Deputy Commissioner showed immediate interest, the file has remained trapped for nearly two years within the complex labyrinth of clearances required from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
The July Revolution and Sofa’s Nationalism
Reflecting on national identity, Professor Salimullah Khan noted, ‘Those of us who speak standardized Bengali modeled after Kolkata are failing to practice the language within our own families. The names and numbers of the wealthy elite in Dhaka are all written in English. Yet, our nation is a testament written in blood. This country was forged through sacrifice, but we are failing to uphold that sense of nationalism.’
He firmly stated that the youth fighters of the July Revolution viewed Ahmad Sofa as their ideological icon. The speakers concluded with optimism, noting that the country is steadily moving toward the equitable and just Bangladesh that Sofa had envisioned.
Marking the 25th anniversary of his passing, the organizers announced that from next year, the event will transition from the ‘Ahmad Sofa Memorial Lecture’ to simply the ‘Ahmad Sofa Lecture,’ expanding its scope to serve as a premier platform for contemporary progressive thought.
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The Writer:
Taskina Yeasmin: Senior Reporter, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.
