Comrade Binod Bihari Chowdhury (1911-2013)

Sometimes you wait your whole life to meet someone properly.

First time I met Chittagong Armory raid famed Binod Bihari Chowdhury was in 2004. My documentary on persecution of Ahmadiya films was screening at Chittagong Press Club. Everyone was tense. Chittagong was considered less sympathetic to secular forces. They were having difficult time finding a chief guest who would speak. Binod dada agreed, without hesitation. He walked to the stage, I think he was still quite firm, and gave a firm speech. Everyone was relieved, they knew his presence had calmed the situation.

We talked for some time, and I made a mental note to come back one day and interview him. I also knew, this was one man who was not forgotten in Bangladesh. Meeting him was almost a pilgrimage for anyone with left politics, and visiting Chittagong. So I also felt, even if I did not meet him soon, he was being recorded. Each year, his birthday or armory raid was observed in one newspaper or another. Probably not enough, but at least some residue was still there.

Last summer, I was back in Chittagong screening another film. A friend took me to his house. A relative came out, and said, â€œuni to nei.â€

We paused, â€œmaneâ€¦â€

â€œNa mane, he is in Kolkata, he will be back, some back next month.â€

A sigh of relief, he was still around. Over 100 years old, and still going.

We could not come back, never got to see him one last time.

But his work lives on. Salute comrade Binod Bihari Chowdhury.