This is the untold story of a titan from Rajshahi University

Not just a man, but a “Mahamanab” (a great soul)—Dr. Mojibur Rahman Devdas.

There are some people whose life stories are written less in history books and more within the depths of our conscience. Dr. Mojibur Rahman Devdas is such a name—an utterance that embodies not just an individual, but an unyielding spirit and indomitable human courage.

The name itself makes one pause: Mojibur Rahman, yet ends with Devdas!

Hidden within this name lies a protest, a history, and an extraordinary stance.

A renowned professor of the Mathematics Department at Rajshahi University, he completed his post-graduation from Dhaka University and earned an M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics from Melbourne in 1964. In 1967, he joined Rajshahi University as a Senior Lecturer—his journey as a promising academic was firmly established.

But then came 1971—a horrific chapter in the history of this land. When the brutality of the Pakistani occupation forces descended upon the people of East Bengal, and Hindu minorities were forced to change their names and identities to save their lives, he chose the opposite path.

As a language of protest, he changed his own name—Mojibur Rahman became Devdas.

This was not merely a name change; it was an extraordinary, silent, yet piercing protest against injustice. On May 10, 1971, in a brief declaration written on the official pad of the Rajshahi University Mathematics Department, he stated:

This university is no longer a place of learning; it has turned into a military camp. I shall not return here until the environment for the pursuit of knowledge is restored.

Just a few sentences—but those words carried the immense courage of a teacher and the glowing proclamation of a free thinker.

What followed was a devastating consequence. The Pakistani forces detained him. For nearly five months, he was kept in a torture cell and subjected to inhumane brutality. He broke down physically and suffered deep psychological trauma. In the words of writer Nazim Mahmud, he became a “Living Martyr.”

Even after independence, his struggle did not end; rather, it took a different form. When he sought to return to the university, he was turned away. The reason? He was no longer “Mojibur Rahman”—he was “Devdas”!

In the country for whose independence he paid such a heavy price, his very identity was denied. He was told to change his name back to return to his post. But he did not compromise. Instead, he legally established “Devdas” as his permanent name through an affidavit.

Afterward, he returned to his village in Joypurhat. He lived a long, silent life of neglect.

In the global context, John Nash was honored worldwide with a Nobel Prize for his contribution to Game Theory despite his mental illness. But the “Devdas” of our land—our very own John Nash—faded into the shadows of neglect and oblivion.

Finally, in 2015, the Government of Bangladesh honored him with the Ekushey Padak—a recognition that felt like a long-overdue tribute.

But the question remains:

Have we truly remembered him?

Or have we left him alone at the edges of history?

This country did not come into being easily. Behind this independence lie the stories of countless unknown, neglected, and self-sacrificing individuals. Dr. Mojibur Rahman Devdas is one of them—perhaps the most unique among them.

Respect to his holy feet.

A salute to his courage.

And our eternal debt to his soul.