Mohammad Toaha

Mohammad Toaha (2 January 1922 – 29 November 1987) was a language activist of the 1952 language movement and a prominent left-wing politician from Bangladesh.^[1][2][3]

Early life and education

Toaha was born on 2 January 1922 at Hajirhat village in

Toaha was first active during the initial stages of the Bengali language movement. On 11 March 1948, when a team led by Toaha went to Secretariat to give Khawaja Nazimuddin a memorandum, police arrested him. Later he was tortured by them and had to spend a week in the hospital for recovery. As one of the leaders of the Rashtrabhasha Shangram Committee (State Language Committee of Action), Toaha was used to take part in all the meeting with the government. He was also the VP of the Fazlul Haque Hall of Dhaka University. When Muhammad Ali Jinnah went there, Toaha submitted a memorandum to him about their language demand. He was also vocal at the government's attempt to write Bengali in Arabic script. He was the correspondent of Jubo League at Shorbodolio Kendrio Rashtrabhasha Kormoporishod (All-party Central Language Committee of Action). Later part of 1952, he was arrested for attachments in student politics.^[4]

1954–1970

After his release in 1954, he took part in the election that the

Toaha along with

After the independence of Bangladesh, a warrant was issued against him and he went into hiding. After the withdrawal of warrant in 1976 he came back to open politics. He was elected a member of the Jatiya Sangsad in 1979. In 1986, Toaha contested in the Jatiya Sangsad election as a nominee of 8-Party alliance.^[3]

Death

Toaha died on 29 November 1987 at his native village of Hajirhat, Lakshmipur District.^[3]

References