In Remembrance Dr. Ahmed Sharif

In the realms of Bengali language, literature, and thought, Dr. Ahmed Sharif shone as a brilliant and defiant star. His profound research on medieval Bengali literature, society, and culture earned him distinguished recognition both at home and abroad. Renowned for his rationalism, fearlessness, and unwavering intellectual integrity, he was a teacher of exceptional stature—a true seeker of knowledge.

He was born on 13 February 1921 in Chittagong. His uncle was the eminent scholar Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad. Growing up surrounded by Sahitya Bisharad’s vast collection of manuscripts, rare texts, and periodicals, Ahmed Sharif developed an intimate relationship with tradition, history, and literature from a young age.

After completing his I.A. (1940) and B.A. (1942) from Chittagong College, he enrolled in the Bengali Department of the University of Dhaka. There he studied under his cherished teachers Mohitlal Majumdar and Ganesh Chandra Basu, whose inspiration guided him towards research-driven and analytical thinking.

Although he began his professional career in the Anti-Corruption Department, he resigned in 1945 in protest against irregularities and corruption. He then taught at Nawab Faizunnesa College in Comilla, Feni College, and briefly at Radio Pakistan. Yet his uncompromising and rebellious nature repeatedly led him to stand against injustice.

In December 1950, he joined the Bengali Department of the University of Dhaka as a research assistant. He was entrusted with the care of 597 invaluable manuscripts donated to the university by Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad. Through preserving and studying these texts, he offered fresh interpretations of medieval Bengali literature, placing it in new historical and cultural contexts.

Over a distinguished 34-year teaching career, he became a profoundly influential professor. His classes were like a storm—rich in words, logic, and historical scope. Recalling his lectures, one student, Humayun Azad, wrote that entering his classroom was like facing a tempest: he paced as he lectured, extending beyond textbooks into the vast expanses of civilisation and history. He was no mere “textbook teacher”—he was a living intellectual challenge.

His work Bengalis and Bengali Literature (Vol. 1, 1978; Vol. 2, 1983) stands as a unique contribution to the study of early and medieval Bengali literature. His logical analysis, historical perspective, and unsparing critique established him in a distinct scholarly rank.

After retiring in 1984, he joined Chittagong University as the Nazrul Professor. As a teacher, researcher, and essayist, he epitomised free thought. His stance against religious fanaticism, superstition, and intellectual servitude was steadfast and uncompromising.

Dr. Ahmed Sharif passed away on 24 February 1999. Yet his thought, reasoning, and fearless voice remain deeply relevant. He taught us that standing for truth is the foremost duty of the intellectual.

We remember this wise luminary with reverence and gratitude.