In the year 1919 month of 16th July he was born in the remote village of Baradi(at present in Kushtia town) in undivided Bengal district of Nadia, Father’s name Harunar Rashid, Mother’s name Sara Rashid. His father Harunar Rashid was an employee of PWD of Bihar Govt. Rashid had also a Chequered career in terms of profession and social activities. Rashid took much care and pain for his eldest son. Siraj passed his childhood through secular education. Literature was his passion and obsession. Among the Muslims, he was the first who had accounted his career in Bengali through distinction marks and his performance was appreciated by no other person than Prof. Rangeen Halder who was the then Head of the Dep’t. Of Bengali in the Patna University. Though Siraj's family was far away from the Bengal but the family had deep-rooted attachment with the relations and relevant clans. To visit the Bengal was a regular ritual and feature of Mr. Like ‘Apu’,
Siraj had had dreamland- as Apu has Nishchintapur, Siraj dreamland was gangatic delta. Siraj was not a dream merchant, he had introduced two basic things –one was introducing plantation of tomatoes and cabbage. He also elevated the sense of sanitation for the gangatic delta areas; especially in the Char Shanir diar and Char Ghoshpur. As young Muslim scholar he took his Higher Secondary Certificate from the Rajshahi Govt. College. Though he was a student of science but passionately he accounted his intellect with the flavor of English
Literature. He was favored and nursed by Prof. Sreekumar Banerjee.His sense of criticism was groomed by Prof. Subodh Sengupta. After passing the Intermediate stage, Islam took his entrance in the prestigious institution of medical science in the sub-continent so far medical science is concerned Calcutta Medical College was next to
London School of Medical Science.This institution not only made Mr. Sirajul Islam a physician only, simultaneously this institute had inducted him with humanitarian values and secular dimensions. In the
later life while he was a practicing physician he did not practice medical science only he practiced by all means the humanitarian aspects of human values also. Calcutta Medical College exposed Mr. Sirajul Islam with a different exposure. From the Bengali Muslims he was the first elected Literary Secretary of the Students Union in the 1943-44.The Union was headed by Mr. Shishir Kumar Bose.Mr.Bose was nephew of Netajee Suvash Chandra Bose, during this tenure Mr.Bose was being arrested by the British authority and taken to the Lahore Fort for state arranged trial. These periods of Mr.Islam’s life was not only colorful but transitional also. He used to take information of Bose at the cost of his own career. This time Islam came across with another Communist Leader Mr. Abdur Razzak, nephew of Moulana Akram Khan.Moulana himself appreciated Mr.Islam’s literary venture in his own daily the Azad. Next year he successfully passed the MBBS as per schedule Islam completed his internee ship under the guidance of Prof. L.M.Banerjee and Prof. P.C.Baghchi. In 1946, in the history of the sub-continent shadowed by communal rifts, political turmoil and legacy of great Bengal famine was continued. As spectator of the time, Islam learned a lot. Witness of the Great Calcutta Killing, now Dr. Islam was a duty officer that very day. During Noakhali Riot, Siraj was a co passenger of Mahatma. He served in different camps and took active part for the sake of humanity. This period is most grandeur time of his life. He opted for Govt. Service in 1948 and was appointed as Assistant surgeon in Comilla.1950 he got married with Jahanara Begum, daughter of a physician family of Pabna.Originally they were from Char Bhabanipur in the district of Nadia of undivided Bengal. In 1952 Dr. Islam posted to Dhaka Medical College as RMO.During this period he had nice service with Prof. Nowab Ali, Prof.Wahed and Prof.Ibrahim.Under blessing of these three professors, dr. Islam learned a lot so far clinical Medicine is concerned. In the same year he was posted to Sylhet Medical School as Lecturer of Pharmachology.He stayed at Sylhet up to 1960. A fruitful and successful tenure had passed by Dr. Islam in this tenure. As physician his name and fame was spectered all over the Sylhet.He was appreciated by every quarter, by dint of his professional
skill and humanitarian values. But he did not confined himself only in his professional confinement he got an exposure through “Muslim Shahitya Shangshad of Sylhet”. In the year 1960 he was appointed as lecturer in the Dhaka Medical College. This time he took active part in PMA and edited PMA Journals.1962 he was posted at Mymensingh Liton Medical School.At Mymensingh he came across as Medical officer with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Tajuddin Ahmed, Mani Singh, and Troilokkahnath Maharaj.His Service was appreciated by these state prisoners. In 1969,Dr.Islam left the country for higher training at Leeds University in U.K. After completion of training he was appointed as Chief Medical Officer in greater Mymensingh.During war of Liberation he was Civil Surgeon of Tangail, as close observant of our arms struggle, all of his family belongings had been looted by the Pakistani Army. After loosing everything he was posted as Deputy Director of Health(DDH) of greater Khulna Division.Then in the year 1976-77, he served at Rajshahi in the same rank. As DDH he had ensured health, sanitation and other basic requirements of the se two divisions. Still now his colleagues are praising his integrity, honesty and thoroughness of his own subject. After retirement he settled in a remote place of Pabna town. Dedicated his merit enterprise and drive for the poor folk of the locality. He did not expose his chequered career, professional antiquity to the poor. Lumpen, Bohemians and destitute people were first choice to Dr. Siraj.He had given them suffering to tranquility, from addiction to divinity. Sadhupara was fortunate enough to have had such a physician who had no asking fees rate. To the lumpens he was friend, to the addicted he was guide and for the sufferer he was philosopher. To him money was not a matter. His only commitment was how to help sufferer. During his funeral time people was over shadowed by teras, only utterance was
“poorer have no physician now”. In the year 1995,on 12th October he left us with a touch of values, good pay habit, sense of commitment to the people. Remembering us:
Moron Sagor pare
tomra je amar
Tomaderi shori
(shori:shoron kori)
It was not a mere funeral utterance but spontaneous symphony orchestered by the local people while last chunk of the soil was been laid down on the burial ground. Seraj left behind a legacy of value based life through his sons, by professions they are educationist, physician and technocrat. He had to pass with sorrows due to immature expiry of his daughter-she was a poet, journalist and social worker. Siraj’s good lady is a social worker giving her service and merit for the local destitute women.
