Marxist theorist, writer, and politician Badruddin Umar has passed away. He died on Sunday (September 7) at 10:05 AM at the age of 94 (Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un).
The news was confirmed by Foyzul Hakim Lala, General Secretary of the National Liberation Council. He stated that Umar passed away after being brought from his residence to a specialized hospital in Dhaka in an ailing condition.
Badruddin Umar was born on December 20, 1931, in Bardhaman, present-day West Bengal. He completed his entrance exam from Bardhaman Town School in 1948 and higher secondary from Bardhaman Raj College in 1950. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Dhaka University in 1953 and master’s in 1955, followed by a PPE degree from the University of Oxford in 1961.
He began his career as a part-time lecturer at Dhaka University and later established the Sociology and Political Science departments at Rajshahi University. In 1968, he left teaching to join full-time politics. He was a central leader of several political organizations including the East Pakistan Communist Party, Democratic Revolutionary Alliance, and Bangladesh Krishok Federation.
Badruddin Umar authored and edited nearly 100 books. His notable research works include:
Language Movement and Politics of East Bengal (Three Volumes)
Cultural Communalism
Language and Culture of East Pakistan
Transformation of Bengali Society and Culture
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and 19th Century Bengali Society
Permanent Settlement and Bangladesh’s Peasantry
In 2025, he was awarded Bangladesh’s highest civilian award, the Independence Award, which he declined to accept.