Tofail Ahmed gave Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the title 'Bangabandhu'

In 1969, on 23 February, the Central Students’ Action Committee organized a rally at Dhaka’s Racecourse Ground (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in honor of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. At this massive gathering of millions, he was conferred the honorary title “Bangabandhu”. The announcement was made by Tofail Ahmed. Just a day earlier, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other accused individuals had been released from the Agartala Conspiracy Case.

Tofail Ahmed was the Vice President (VP) of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) during the 1968–69 term. He later became one of the key organizers of the Liberation War, served as a political secretary to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with ministerial rank, was a Member of Parliament, and held ministerial responsibilities for a long period. His 82-year-long eventful life came to an end on Monday afternoon.

Tofail Ahmed had shared his memories of that rally on several occasions. According to him, 
“Those who did not see the Racecourse Ground that day cannot be made to understand what that gathering was like. When we arrived, the field was already full.”

He also recalled several student leaders of the Students’ Action Committee, including Abdur Rouf, Khaled Mohammad Ali, Shamsuddoha, Saifuddin Ahmed Manik, Jamal Haider, Mahbub Ullah, Fakhrul Islam Munshi, Ibrahim Khalil, and Nazim Kamran Chowdhury.

“23 February was the greatest achievement of my life. What greater achievement can a student have?” he said, noting that he had presided over the mass reception event. However, before Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s speech, he had to speak first.

He explained that student leaders had already felt the necessity of conferring an honorific title. He recalled a poem titled “Bangabandhu,” which they had found inspiring and fitting. He then announced: “I declare that the greatest son of the Bengali nation, the greatest figure of a thousand years, the leader of the oppressed and humiliated Bengalis, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is hereby conferred the title ‘Bangabandhu’. From today, he is our Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib.”

He further mentioned that the crowd of millions echoed the title in unison.

In 2019, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the title, he spoke at a discussion meeting held at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) auditorium of Dhaka University.

While describing the political context of that time, he said: “On 4 January 1969, under my presidency as DUCSU VP and in the presence of fellow student leaders, we formed the Central Students’ Action Committee and announced the 11 point event. Then we launched the movement on 17 January. On 20 January, we took an oath holding the blood-stained shirt of martyr Asad. Through the bloodshed of Matiur, Makbul, Rustam, and Alamgir on 24 January, the movement turned into a nationwide mass uprising.”

He also noted that the brutal killings of Sergeant Zahurul Haque on 15 February and Dr. Shamsuzzoha on 18 February by security forces triggered widespread public outrage across Bengal.