Shahidul Islam, Special Correspondent.
On Sunday, February 23, 2025, the book launch and publication ceremony of 'Kirtiman Shikshabid M.A. Gafur', written by renowned writer, storyteller and teacher Sawda Mumin, was held at London Enterprise Academy, a secondary school in East London, amidst great enthusiasm and excitement.
Former Mayor of Croydon Council, Councillor Humayun Kabir, presided over the event. TV presenter Hena Begum hosted the event.
The chief guest was Warisul Islam, First Secretary of the Bangladesh High Commission. The special guests were writer and professor Rehena Rahman, journalist and community organizer KM Abu Taher Chowdhury, politician Nurul Haque Lala Mia, Mayor of Croydon Council, Secretary of the London Bangla Press Club Taishir Mahmud, Councilor Faizur Rahman, Editor of Darpan Rahmat Ali, former Speaker of Tower Hamlets Ahbab Hossain, Councilor Richard Chatterjee, and others.
The meeting also included discussions with various discussants including Abu Hossain, President of the British Bangladeshi Teachers Association, Syed Abul Bashar, Dr. Mominul Haque, veteran journalist Paul Trevor, and Zubair Kabir.
The guests present remembered the late M.A. Gafur and highlighted various aspects of his life and work. In particular, his unique contribution in establishing Eralia Bazar High School and Brick Lane Mosque, and the expansion of Tilagarh Jame Mosque, came up for discussion.
Writer Sawda Mumin wrote a book about the life and work of her famous father. The book is written in English and Bengali. It is like a memorial book. Many memoirs by different writers have been included in the book. Through this book, Sawda Mumin has highlighted the life and history of her father, a prominent educationist and social worker Abdul Gafur. The late Mohammad Abdul Gafur was an artisan of human development. He established many educational institutions in Bangladesh. He served as the headmaster of various educational institutions for a long time. Thousands of his students are scattered across the country and abroad. He was well known as Abdul Gafur BABEd. He came to Britain in 1979. After coming to this country, he became the governor of a primary school, the founding trustee of Bricklane Mosque and engaged himself in various social service activities. He educated his children well. Councilor Humayun Kabir, the former Honorable Mayor of Croydon, the eldest son of the late M.A. Gafur, his daughter and author Sawda Mumin, and community activist and established businessman Zubair Kabir.
The book contains a lot of historical information and rare pictures. Abdul Gafur was a devout man. He was a long-time Mutawalli of the mosque. He passed away in Sylhet city in 1999. His home was in Islampur village of Jagannathpur upazila and his father-in-law was in Hasan Fatemapur village. His uncle and father-in-law was the late Ayub Ali Master.
