Feature

MAJOR Mirza Abdul Baten is no more with us but he is remembered by many people in our country for his outstanding contributions in Military service and in UN mission in Africa. He was a former student of the 10th batch of the Department of English, Jahangirnagar University.

This is for the first time in the history of the Department of English, an award for meritorious students with outstanding results in Honours has been introduced in honour of Late Major Mirza Abdul Baten. This venture has been launched by the 10th batch students of J.U. To immortalize Late Major Baten, his batch mates of the Department of English have taken the initiative to start an award naming “Major Abdul Baten Memorial Award” in the Department of English, J.U. This award has been introduced initially by giving awards with financial support to two of the students of Batch-30 of the Department. Tania Tasneem Hossain and Md. Rafiussan, got this award for their outstanding results in Honours Final Examination.

It has been decided that the award will be given every year to the students achieving outstanding results in Honours Final Examination of the Department of English. A function in memory of Major Baten was held on May 3, 2008. Most of the teachers of the Department were present at the meeting. The Chair of the English Department; Dr. Shamsad Mortuza, Professor Prithila Najneen of the Department of Bangla, Dr. Harun-ur-Rashid of the Department of English, East-West University spoke highly of him by recollecting and reconciling their memories.It is to be noted that Professor Prithila Najneen and Dr. Harun-ur-Rashid were the batch mates of Late Major Abdul Baten.

Professor Jami, who was his direct teacher formed an estimate of Late Major Baten and said, “Late Major Baten was tremendously capable and industrious in his duty and not personally ambitious. He may be slow in making up his mind to any particular course of action, but once he had chosen his ground he defended it skillfully and held it with tenacity. He had a warm heart under a reserved and cold manner. If he lacked the daring resolution, imperious will, and personal force, he displayed a splendid work under taunts and misinterpretation, and possessed a curious power of detaching himself from the influences and passions of the moment in solving delicate problems during his UN mission in Sierra Leone.

Major Baten was a meritorious student of the Department of English. After completing his Masters he joined the Army as a career. He got an opportunity to serve the UN mission in Sierra Leone. After serving UN mission with hard and constructive labour, indomitable will, judgement, sense of responsibility and great tenacity of purpose while he was coming back home to join his duty as Lieutenant Colonel in Bangladesh Army, he faced a disastrous plane crash and died. A man of such versatile personality and of high intellect should be remembered by all those who knew and admired him. It is no doubt that the death of Major Baten is a irreparable loss for our country, but those who sacrifice their lives for a good cause and mission remain immortal.

Let us pray to the Almighty and the most compassionate to give peace to the departed soul of Late Major Baten.

(Final Year Graduate (Honours) Student Department of English, JU)