Returning home to Dhaka in May 1967 was a happy event for me. The 15 days or so spent in Rawalpindi - Islamabad and Lahore brought for me new experiences. These related to the working of the bureaucracy at the highest level in the central government of Pakistan during the Pre-1971 period. It also was featured by the receipt in Lahore, the disappointing news of my having stood second in the CSS examination of 1966. First or Second, however, did not matter much in the context of the unavilatibility of my joining the CSP in October, 1967.
The prospect of joining the 'heaven born' service should certainly have brought joy and satisfaction. That was the reality. However, the mind does not often reconcile with the unfolding reality. In my case, as I wrote earlier, I was perfectly happy with my teaching job in the University. I took the CSS examination in 1966 after serving the Dhaka University for three years because an adverse police report made it impossible for me to continue in the University in accordance with a newly promulgated government circular. That circular was secret and known to the authorities alone.
The knowledge that I would have to leave the University for a Government job if of course, the political clearance came from the government, made me sad when I came back to Dhaka from West Pakistan. As I mentally prepared myself for the coming change, I thought of our brilliant young teachers during 1959-60 who had to leave their Dhaka University job under similar circumstances. Among them were: our teacher of History Md. Sirajuddin and Economics teacher such as Azizur Rahman Khan and Aminul Islam. All of them had the characteristics of dedicated and highly talented teachers.
They later did very well in life in sectors other than teaching. But that did not compensate their disappointment and sadness. In fact, Mr Sirajuddin who is an affectionate teacher turned friend told me years later, "I actually wept at the moment they took away my job in the University. I was in despair. I had no job and very little money. At that time, a palmist forecast that I would have a most successful career and reach the top player.
I did not believe him but found some comfort and inspiration at his words. Since I did not have much money, I offered him my ring. He did not take it. But I remembered him fondly at each promotion along the Civil Service career including the Position of Secretary". Needless to say that after his outster from the Dhaka University faculty he completed successfully in the CSS examination to become a member of the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP). He retired as a member of the Planning Commission of Bangladesh.
I remembered the cases of the outstate young teacher in 1959-60 as I made mental preparations for my departure from the University to get into a new career. I continued to teach, write and speak in seminars and meetings within the university and outside. It was like acting on a stage with artificial confidence. In the core of my heart I felt a pang of uncertainty.
As the results of CSS examination 1966 were published there was disappointments in the circle of my friends and well wishers. There were some whispered that Shahed Shadullah stood first because of his father Mr. Shadullah having been a member of the Public Service Commission! This was far from the truth. I did not know Shahed very well but I knew that the result he achieved was by dint of his merit and hard work. In the Civil Service Academy and in Dhaka Deputy Commissioner's office during our two years training, I found him not only a highly talented and industrious person but also an amiable, modest and wonderful human being.
Professor Abdur Razzak who had great affection for me said, "there is nothing to be disappointed by this happening. This is life. Whatever that may be this will permit people to say that like other men Shelley also is not perfect!" Then he burst into hearty laughter.
There were more serious issues to be addressed. My adverse police report not only threatened me with outster from the Dhaka University but also stood as a great obstacle on the way to my joining the CSP. The experience I had while trying to lobby for neutralizing the intelligence report to retain my job as a University teacher has already been described. It was a disappointing failure as the senior bureaucrats did not or could not do much to help me.
Dr Mizanur Rahman Shelley, founder Chairman of Centre for Development Research (CDRB), and former technocrat Cabinet Minister of Bangladesh, died on August 12, 2019. He contributed his
writeups to the Daily Observer which are being published regularly as
"The Symphony of Our Times".
