Renaming Pabna Medical College after Rabbi
Demand still remains unmet
Dr Fazle Rabbi
Locals' demand for re naming Pabna Medical College after martyred intellectual Dr Fazle Rabbi, a renowned physician hailing from the district, has remained unmet still now. The Pakistan army with the help of their local collaborators caught Dr Rabbi on December 14 in 1971 and killed him along with several other intellectuals at Royer Bazar killing ground, hours before the nation's final victory against the Pakistan occupation forces. Different social and cultural organisations in Pabna observed Martyred Intellectuals Day yesterday demanding punishment to the criminals involved in killing the best sons of the soil. “The demand for re naming Pabna Medical College after Dr Rabbi arose in 2008 when the then caretaker government took the initiative to establish it,” said Zinat Ara, chairperson of Dr Fazle Rabbi Foundation, also the younger sister of Dr Rabbi. On December 2010, a large number of cultural activists, political persons and people from all walks of life signed a memorandum demanding re naming of Pabna Medical College after Dr Rabbi and submitted it to the health ministry through the deputy commissioner, said Salfi Al Fattah, secretary of Dr Fazle Rabbi Smrity Parishad, Pabna. Dr Fazle Rabbi was born on September 21 in 1932 at Chhatiani village in Pabna Sadar upazila. He passed the matriculation (equivalent to SSC now) from Pabna Zila School and ISc from Dhaka College in 1948 and 1950. He completed MBBS from Dhaka Medical College in 1955, obtaining gold medal for his outstanding result. After serving Dhaka Medical College for sometime, Dr Rabbi went to England in 1960 and obtained MRCP in cardiology in 1962. He also achieved MRCP in medicine and served different hospitals including Hammersmith Hospital in England. Dr Rabbi returned to the country and joined Dhaka Medical College as an associate professor in 1963. He was promoted as professor in 1968. Dr Fazle Rabbi was an advocate for ensuring proper medical service for all and contributed to organising nationalist movements at different times during the Pakistan period. Giving shelter to freedom fighters and pro-liberation personalities during the 1971 Liberation War, Dr Rabbi became a target of the Pakistan occupation forces and finally borrowed martyrdom. “It is unfortunate that authorities failed to do anything significant here to keep the memory of Dr Rabbi alive during the 40 years of independence. And so, we demand re naming Pabna Medical College after the name of the martyred intellectual,” said Abdul Matin Khan, principal of Shaheed Shadhan Music College, Pabna.
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