Interview with Salahuddin Chowdhury, April 10, 2010

Partial Transcript: It's April tenth and I am here, um, in Dhaka with Mr. Salahuddin Chowdhury, um, Aligarh Old Boy, and, um, he will be talking about his experiences, uh, both in Aligarh and after.

Segment Synopsis: Chowdhury talks about when and where he was born. He also talks about his religious education. Next, he briefly discusses his family, including is father, who was a tea farmer.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Aligarh Old Boys’ Association; Assam (India); Cousins; Education; Farmers; Fathers; High schools; Kolkata (India); Partition; Primary schools; Qur’an, the; Railroads; Railways; Religious education; Silet (India); Sylhet (Bangladesh); Sylhet (India); Sylhet College; Sylhet Government High School; Sylhet Government Pilot High School; Tea; Trains

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Assam (India); Bangladesh--History.; Cousins; Education; Farmers; Fathers; High schools; India--History.; Kolkata (India); Pakistan--History; Partition; Qurʼan.; Railways; Tea

Partial Transcript: Do you remember what it was like when you first arrived in Aligarh? What was your impression?

Segment Synopsis: Chowdhury talks about his first impressions of Aligarh Muslim University. He then talks about the food options available at the university, as well as the professors who influenced him. Chowdhury then talks about the role that that Islam played in student life and the opinion of the students towards the partition of Pakistan.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Bangladesh; Debates; Food; Hindus; Islam; Muslims; Pakistan; Partition; Partition of Pakistan; Prayers; Professors; Residence halls; Silet (India); Student unions; Sylhet (Bangladesh); Sylhet (India); Teachers; Urdu language

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Bangladesh; Bangladesh--History.; Debates and debating.; Food; Hindus; India--History.; Islam; Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Partition; Prayers; Professors; Teachers; Urdu language

Partial Transcript: And then, in nineteen forty seven--

Segment Synopsis: Chowdhury discusses his life as someone from what would become East Pakistan in the late 1940s, including being careful while traveling and concealing his identity, demonstrated with a story about his brother visiting him in the hospital.

Keywords: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Hospital; Brothers; Dhaka (Bangladesh); Hindu-Muslim riots; Muslims; Railways; Trains; Traveling

Subjects: Aligarh (India); Bangladesh--History.; British--India--History.; Brothers; Dhaka (Bangladesh); India--History.; Muslims; Pakistan--History; Railways; Riots

Partial Transcript: When--what year did you leave Aligarh?

Segment Synopsis: Chowdhury talks about the day that India was proclaimed an independent state, which resulted in his being in India while his family now lived in Pakistan. He also talks about the changes that the partition of Pakistan brought to Aligarh Muslim University.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; India; Indian independence; Pakistan; Partition; Professors; Scholarships; Students

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Bangladesh--History.; British--India--History.; India; India--History.; Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Partition; Professors; Scholarships; Students.

Partial Transcript: And then, when you, you left Aligarh in nineteen forty-nine, and you went to Scotland.

Segment Synopsis: Chowdhury talks about his time at Dundee Technical College & School of Art in Scotland. He then talks about the problems facing jute production after the partition of Pakistan. Chowdhury then talks about his perspective regarding Pakistan upon his return. He also discusses the various uses for jute.

Keywords: Baghdad (Iraq); Baghdad Jute Men; Bangladesh; Dundee (Scotland); Dundee Technical College & School of Art; Jute; Kolkata (India); Massacre of 21st February 1952; New York (N.Y.); Pakistan; Scotland; Silet (India); Sylhet (Bangladesh); Sylhet (India); Washington (D.C.)

Subjects: Baghdad (Iraq); Bangladesh; Bangladesh--History.; Dundee (Scotland); India--History.; Jute fiber; Kolkata (India); Massacres.; New York (N.Y.); Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Scotland; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: And, um, how many children do you have?

Segment Synopsis: Chowdhury talks about his son, who is a professor of law at North South University and his daughter, who is an executive director. He then discusses his brothers and sisters. Chowdhury then talks about why he left Bangladesh, as well as his marriage.

Keywords: Bangladesh; Brothers; Daughters; Dundee (Scotland); Families; Fathers; Marriages; North South University; Personnel management; Sisters; Sons; South Africa; Wives

Subjects: Bangladesh; Bangladesh--History.; Brothers; Daughters; Dundee (Scotland); Families; Fathers; India--History.; Marriage.; North South University; Pakistan--History; Sisters; Sons; South African; Wives

Partial Transcript: What is your impression about the relationship between East and West Pakistan?

Segment Synopsis: Chowdhury talks about the relationship between east and west Pakistan before the independence of Bangladesh. He talks about his perspective on the independence of Bangladesh, including its effect on the jute industry. Next, Chowdhury discusses his colleagues that left for Bangladesh in 1971. He then talks about his hopes for the future of Bangladesh. Chowdhury also talks about when he thinks the history of Bangladesh began.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Bangladesh; Bangladesh Liberation War; Bangladesh War of Independence; Bengalis; Burma; Children; Dhaka (Bangladesh); East Pakistan; Economies; History; India; Jute; Money; Muslims; Mymensingh (Bangladesh); Pakistan; Rahman, Sheikh Mujibur; Rangpur (Bangladesh); West Pakistan

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Bangladesh; Bangladesh--History.; Burma; Children; Dhaka (Bangladesh); History; India; India--History.; Jute fiber; Money; Muslims; Mymensingh (Bangladesh); Pakistan--History; Rahman, Mujibur; Rangpur (Bangladesh)

Partial Transcript: What do you think was the most important thing that you learned from Aligarh?

Segment Synopsis: Chowdhury talks about when he thinks the history of Bangladesh began. He then talks about why he feels that social connections are the most important thing he gained from attending Aligarh Muslim University, as well as his experience playing basketball for the university.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Bangladesh; Basketball; Dhaka (Bangladesh); East Pakistan; Reputations; Silet (India); Sylhet (Bangladesh); Sylhet (India)

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Bangladesh; Bangladesh--History.; Basketball; Dhaka (Bangladesh); India--History.; Pakistan--History; Reputations